


Cursed

by OperaGoose



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everybody Lives, Angst, Curses, He won’t actually die tho, Love Curse, M/M, Mentioned main character death, Possibly Unrequited Love, Supernatural Illnesses, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-03-24
Packaged: 2019-03-23 22:08:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 21,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13797327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OperaGoose/pseuds/OperaGoose
Summary: Before Ardyn was defeated by the heroic Nyx Ulric, he held Prompto captive. While he was there, he inflicted Prompto with a love curse. Things will be fine, as long as he had a safe and secure love with Noctis.But in the aftermath, in a Lucis rebuilding itself without its monarchy, Noctis and Ignis announce their relationship. And now the curse is active, and Prompto is slowly deteriorating. He can't tell Ignis and Noct, they'd be too guilty. But how will he prepare for the curse and its inevitable outcome without them?





	1. And So It Begins

**Author's Note:**

> I read a couple Hanahaki Disease fics recently, and it was inspiring for my angsty muses - but lung stuff is triggery for me so I took things in a different direction. Same things you can expect from those - unrequited love, tortuous angst, painful illness and expected character death. I never deal with character death well so it inevitably won't end that way - but all characters will think it will. Prepare for the angst storm.

_Soft hands, gently cupping the back of his head. Gentle lips, peppering over his face and neck. “Prom,” the voice was gentle, kind._

_“Noct!” he whimpered weakly. Things were strange – blurred, dreamlike._

_“Do you love me?” Gentle fingers carded through his hair, it almost hurt – why was his scalp so sore?_

_“Yeah,” he said, shocked at the question. “Of course I do.” Why would he think otherwise? “Noct?”_

_A tender kiss on his lips. He tried to move his hands, but they were stuck. He whimpered and tried to tug his hands, but they stayed. Spread above his head, like a Y._

_“Shhhh,” Noct soothed, and he felt his whole body relax. “Prom, how much do you love me?”_

_“More than anything,” he replied, nuzzling his cheek fondly. A weird smell choked his breath for a moment. Something thick and dark and clogging, like daemon spawn. Had they been fighting? He couldn’t remember. He must be Confused._

_“Anything?” Noct asked, hands gripping his hair to tilt his head up to meet his eyes._

_“Mm.” That hurt, just a little. “Anything.”_

_“More than life itself?” Noct asked. Prompto’s eyes slid over his expression, did the tilt of his lips look just a little wrong? Almost cruel. No, he had to be Confused. Noct wasn’t cruel._

_“Yeah,” he said, trying to tug his hands free. “Noct… where are we?”_

_“Shhhh,” the prince hushed. “Focus, Prom. You love me, right?”_

_“I do,” he said, trying to relax. “More than anything. More than life itself.”_

_“Good.” Noct’s hand left his hair, trailing down to his chest. His nails must be overlong, they scratched his skin just a little. “I want you to die for me.”_

_“H-huh?”_

_Nails dug in, claws piercing his skin. He cried out, struggling, and his vision wavered. It wasn’t Noct in front of him – it was Ardyn, his face dripping with black ichor. He cried out, violently trying to struggle away. But the claws dug deeper, he could almost swear they dug into his heart itself._

“ **Prompto! Prompto! Wake _up_!** ” 

He jolted up, breath heaving his chest. His entire body was sticky with sweat, muscles trembling. His chest ached, burning with pain deep. A hand touched his arm and he flailed, trying to fight off the hand. 

“Whoa, calm down.” He knew that voice. That was Gladio. He took a shuddering breath and again and again until he was calming down. “Nightmares again?” 

He grunted, squeezing his eyes closed until his aching heart stopped racing, and his breath was deep and even. He opened his eyes, and they wavered until they settled on Gladio. “Sorry,” he murmured. “Was I shaking the bunk?” 

“I wasn’t in bed yet,” Gladio replied, his scarred face furrowing at him. “I could hear you crying from the next room. I thought you were…”

“Thought I was what?” Prompto asked, sliding his legs towards the metal stairs. 

“Nothing.” Gladio’s eyes tracked him as he made his way to the floor. 

Prompto glanced at the other bunk. It was still neatly made. “Where’s Noct?” He asked. His heart ached, and the only thing that could take care of it was hanging out with his best friend. 

“He and Iggy are out,” Gladio replied. 

“Again?” He headed to the bathroom, running the tap so he can splash himself with cool water. “Those two are spending a lot of time together these days.” 

“Well. Lovebirds will be lovebirds.” 

The flinch and fumble Prompto had in reaction to those words had him scrabbling around trying to fish hand lotions and soaps out of the sink. Once his shaky hands had placed them back into order on the sink, he stared at Gladio in the mirror. “The what?” 

His chest hurt. Moved from beyond the simple ache, to a sharp pain. There was a sick twist in his stomach. 

“I mean… they’re not official or anything yet,” Gladio said carefully, watching his face in the mirror. “But… well, you know. I caught them kissing on the balcony last week.” 

He covered up the violent slice of pain in his chest with a bubble of laughter. “Good for them.” He turned the tap off. “Why so secretive?” 

Gladio was frowning, his scars wrinkling in the furrows of his forehead. “Maybe they’re waiting to break it to us at the right time,” he suggested. 

He laughed a little. “Break it to us? That’s dramatic.” He left the sink and nudged him aside. “I’m gonna shower, big guy.” 

Gladio watched him seriously, studying his expression carefully. “Alright… I’m gonna get some sleep. Call out if you need me, okay?” Why did he sound so worried? It was just a shower. There was nothing weird about a shower.

“Gotcha, big guy.” He fingergunned at him and started unbuckling his belt. Gladio hurried out pretty quickly after that. He carefully closed the door and flicked the lock, leaning against the door and shuddering. 

Noct and Iggy? 

The thought had pain slicing down his middle, burying like a knife in his stomach. He felt his gag reflex spasm in reaction, and gripped his hands into a tight fist. 

It made _sense_. They were close, they cared about each other. Ignis had been wife-ing Noct for years, and Noct wasn’t closer to anyone than Iggy. They were both fantastically good-looking, and they’d make a cute couple. 

Another painful twist, the instinctive gag. He shifted away from the door, turned on the shower. He carefully stripped, focusing on keeping his hands still enough to work the fastenings on his clothes. He didn’t want to look in the mirror – he always hated it. He’d stopped his daily body selfies after Insomnia had fallen. 

But he couldn’t help but stray his eyes to the bathroom mirror to check himself out. The scars around his sternum were still there, five deep round punctures… Oh, gods. There were black, veins spreading out from the centre of his chest like poisoned tree roots. 

He shuddered, dragging his eyes away. It was happening. He thought he’d just being paranoid, anxiety getting to him. But this was proof. Before bed, he’d been fine. And now news about Noct and Ignis together and look. 

Noct and Iggy. Gods. His stomach roiled and he stepped quickly to the toilet. 

In a few moments, he flushed the toilet and watched the thick, black ichor slowly swirl down the drain until it was replaced with blue dyed water. 

He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He got shakily to his feet and walked over to the shower. 

_This_? This was not good.


	2. Toast

“So, we just wanted to tell you guys,” Noct began. 

Prompto gripped his hand into the fabric of his pants under the table, his face splitting in a grin. “Gladio, you owe me a hundred gil!” he interrupted, “I said they’d admit it before the end of the month!” 

The former Shield groaned and fished out his phone. “You guys couldn’t have waited another week?” 

Prompto just grinned and took his phone out so Gladio could beep him the gil. He kept his hand steady, stomach roiling in nausea. He fought the feeling down, and faking a smug look, he tucked it back in his pocket. “Anyway, sorry, go on. You two are dating, secretly.” 

Ignis silently pushed up his glasses, but Noct _stared_ at him. “You know?” 

“You two haven’t exactly been _subtle_ ,” Gladio replied, grumbling at his phone screen. “Going out to dinner every Saturday night, sneaking off to be alone for hours every evening, switching your bunks out for a double bed _because it’s better for your posture this way_. Dude.” 

“But…” Noct looked a little lost. He glanced at Ignis for help, but the advisor just gave a slight shrug. “So… you guys know.” 

“Yeah,” Gladio grunted. 

Prompto watched the prince, well, former prince really. The monarchy had been disbanded, and people still _tended_ to call Noct ‘prince’ but it didn’t really mean anything. Noct’s eyes scanned his face, searching for something. 

Prompto curled his lips up into a smile. “Well, Iggy can order us a bottle of really fancy champagne to celebrate!” He got to his feet. “Gotta whizz. Be back in a bit.” 

He felt the sky-blue eyes on him as he headed towards the bathroom. The roiling, violent churning of his stomach was almost enough to make him want to run – but he had to keep calm. Maintain appearances, don’t let any of them catch on or worry. 

He ducked into the single gender-neutral bathroom, locking the door behind himself. The lights were dim, but light enough to see by. 

He headed to the mirror and carefully lifted his shirt, rucking it up under his armpits, wavering on his feet. The black veins had branched out all over his upper chest, were crawling over his left shoulder and towards his thankfully still-chiseled abs. He dropped his shirt back down, cringing. His hands gripped tightly to the enamel of the sink and holding on for his dear life against the rocking and rolling sensation. 

It didn’t work. He yanked the tap on for the audio disruption, and then bolted towards the toilet. He clung to the ceramic bowl – his muscles clenching and releasing until the water was almost black with how much he’d brought up. He panted hard, trying to calm the gag reflex down for longer than a few seconds. 

He missed the armiger, especially in moments like these. He had to fish a potion out of his pocket, instead of one appearing in his hand by magic. He popped the cap and swallowed it down, squeezing his eyes closed and waiting for the relief – however temporarily. It should last long enough for him to sit through the rest of the dinner, and the celebration drinks he’d just proposed. 

He wanted to go _home_. But he _had_ to keep up appearances. If one of them noticed something was up with him, then he’d have to tell them something – and right now he didn’t have anything prepared so he’d have to tell _The Truth_. And then… no. Either they’d apologise and say they couldn’t do anything; or they’d feel guilty and end up ruining their relationship trying to help Prompto out. 

Once the potion kicked in, had him back to… well, the new standard of ‘okay’, he got to his feet. He flushed, rinsed his mouth, washed his hands, and turned the tap off. He stared at himself in the mirror for a long moment. Were his cheeks gaunt or was that just the nausea tugging in his cheek fat? He looked pale, but the ‘greenness’ was disappearing out of his complexion. But he didn’t look _noticeably_ sick – he only knew because he’d been obsessively checking every change in his appearance since things had gotten _bad_.

He took a deep, steadying breath, stood up straight, and fixed his usual easy-going smile on his face. Perfect, even his friends wouldn’t know a thing. Drying his hands on a paper towel, he opened the door. 

He startled to see Noct standing in the hallway outside, leaning against the Ebony vending machine. His expression was a little cold. “Bro,” Prompto said, raising eyebrows at him. “There’s other toilets, you didn’t have to line up.” 

“I wasn’t waiting in line,” he replied. “I was waiting for you.” 

He tilted his head in confusion. “Me? Why?” He asked. “I told you I was going to the bathroom.” 

Noct frowned at him, standing up properly. “Because I told you I was dating Specs, and you immediately decided to escape to the bathroom. I just wanted to check you were…fine.” 

“Of course I am,” Prompto said, grinning, fighting down the spasm of nausea in his stomach in response to the repeated announcement. Would it always be as bad as this, until it got worse? “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I mean…” Noct avoided his eyes. “I guess, I thought…” He shifted restlessly. “You were…I mean, you still _have_ feelings for me.” 

_I want you to die for me_ , Ardyn had said – in Noct’s borrowed voice. 

_And I’m going to_ , he realized, his stomach sinking in dread. He ducked his head and hid his expression. “Don’t worry about it, Noct,” he said, “I’m an adult. And I’m your best friend, before anything else. I’m _happy_ for you – for you _and_ and Iggy.” He reached out and lightly punched Noct’s shoulder. “I’m chill, bro. I hope you and Iggy are happy together.” 

_‘Cause I’m not gonna be around to see it_.

“You sure you’re okay, Prompto? You’re not…” He glanced significantly towards that bathroom. “ _You know_ , again?” 

“I wasn’t gonna announce I needed to shit at the dinner table,” he said evasively, punching his arm again. “Come on. Iggy’s buying the good champagne. Let’s go.” 

Prompto headed quickly back out to the dining room, but it was a few moments before Noct was falling in to step beside him. They were silent all the way back to the table.


	3. Moving Out

“That’s the last of the boxes,” Prompto said, sliding the last box onto the back seat of the Regalia. 

Even with a potion piercing through his veins, he felt weak and shaky and moments away from puking. He’d had to buy make-up to try and disguise how sallow he was starting to look. He glutted himself on protein and pumped iron to keep enough muscle mass to try and not to get too thin. 

And now, Ignis and Noctis were _moving out together_. In the last week, they’d announced they wanted to live on their own, found an apartment close to the restaurant Ignis was working at, bought it, and packed up all their things. Potions weren’t enough to feel stable now. He was going to have to re-budget to be able to afford hi-potions instead. 

They cost _twice as much_ , fuck. He had to pay double rent now, because Iggy and Noct were both moving. He couldn’t _make_ people have more weddings and hire his services. Maybe he could get a couple jobs from Vyv? Or set up a photobooth somewhere near a busy corner. 

“Prompto?” Noct asked, touching his shoulder. 

He jolted away from him. His skin _hurt_ where the veins were blackened with ichor. “Huh? Oh!” He quickly fixed a tired smile on his face. “Sorry. Just… thinking about rent, and stuff.” 

“We’ve paid up for the month,” Ignis replied. “And I expect to see you all for dinner most nights. Things will hardly change, no need to be upset, Prompto.” 

“Except now you don’t have to _keep quiet_ when you’re fucking,” Gladio grunted, giving them both a saucy smirk. 

Prompto snickered, but he felt his entire body sicken just from the words. “Like they were ever _quiet_.” 

Noct’s face bloomed a gorgeous shade of pink, and he ducked to hide behind his hair. “Shut up, Prompto.” 

He grinned cheekily and mimed zipping and locking his lips. He stretched, his muscles screaming at the moment, at the toxic sludge replacing the blood in his veins. “Anyway. That’s enough heavy lifting for _me_ today. I’m going back upstairs.” 

”Lazy,” Gladio replied, punching his shoulder. 

Prompto made his stumbling over and hitting the side of the car super dramatic, to try and hide the genuine pain. “You’ve _murdered meeeeee_ ,” he wailed, clutching his arm. 

“Wimp,” the former shield said, rolling his eyes and tugging him back up to his feet. “I promised Iris I’d visit today, but I’ll swing by later and help you move the heavy shit.” 

“Thank you, Gladiolus,” Ignis replied, watching him calmly. “I’d appreciate the assistance.” 

Was that a dig? Prompto felt like it was a dig. He shrugged indifferently and turned back towards the house. “I’ll catch you guys later.” He flicked them a fingergun over his shoulder and headed through the door. 

He made it to the bathroom at least. Heaving and gagging and sobbing until he was empty. Empty of feelings, of pain, of sticky black ichor. His mouth tasted like copper, and when he rinsed his mouth clean, he spat out an ugly mix of brown into the sink. 

His hands shook violently as he opened the bathroom mirror, fumbling between the different bottles and vials until he found the pointed blue bottle. Hi-potion, _yes_. 

He downed it, felt the potion sapping away the illness until he felt basically human again. His teeth looked clean, and the coppery taste disappeared. 

There was a quiet knock on the door and he startled, nearly dropping the bottle to smash in the sink. But he did manage to knock everything over and send it clattering into the sink. “Prompto?” 

“Hey, Gladio, out in a sec.” He hid the empty hi-potion bottle at the back of the cupboard and opened the door with a foot, starting to tidy up his mess. 

“You okay in here?” Gladio asked, frowning as he stepped in. 

“Always,” he answered, finishing arranging the bottles on the shelf. “You need the shower before you visit Iris?” 

“Iris is in Caem this week,” Gladio answered. “I just wanted to leave the lovebirds alone for a while. Christen the apartment, or whatever.” 

“Gross.” At least the hi-potion battened the reaction down to a subtle wave of nausea. “You eating at theirs tonight?” 

“Maybe,” Gladio replied. “You?” 

“Nah. Gonna have a Cup Noodles and head in early.” He rolled his shoulders back, feeling real blood work into his muscles again. “I don’t even need to go to the gym tonight.” 

“You’ve been hitting the gym a lot lately,” the Shield commented, eyeing him slightly. “There someone new you trying to impress?” 

Prompto laughed. “Yeah,” he said, “once I sort out these guns, I’m gonna go sweep Cindy off her feet.” 

He rolled his eyes. “Right. Cindy. Sure.” He stood up properly. “You know, Prompto… We’re friends too. I might be tough on you, but you know you can come to me with anything right?” 

Prompto punched his arm on his way past. “Sure,” he said. “I’ll come to you when I can’t make half the rent next month!” 

Gladio just sighed. “Yeah, yeah. I’m taking the other bedroom, by the way. You can keep the bunks.” 

“Fine with me.” He didn’t want to stay in the room Ignis and Noct had shared anyway. Maybe Gladio knew that. The guy was more perceptive and caring than he pretended to be most of the time. 

Prompto went to the living room and flopped on the couch. He fiddled with his phone for a while, before tiredness overcame him and he passed out there, curled up on the old couch.


	4. Quest

“Hey, Gladio,” Prompto said, sticking his head in the door. His buddy was only in jeans, casually doing one-handed bar lifts from his custom-built frame. “Can I borrow a sleeping bag? Maybe a one-man tent, if you’ve got any.” 

Gladio paused, arm tensed, holding himself up off the ground. “You going somewhere?” 

“Vyv wants some pics of Malmalam Thicket,” Prompto replied, leaning against the doorway and watching with admiration as Gladio eased himself to the ground. “Figured I’d make a trip of it. Lestallum gets too close sometimes, y’know?” 

Gladio gave him a serious look, grabbing his towel off a nearby hook. “And this has nothing to do with the fact that Noct asked me to go ring-shopping with him last weekend?” 

Of course it was. Prompto was on two hi-potions a day, and dosing with potions to bolster their effect any time he had to actually see Noct or Iggy. It was almost terrifying, and he didn’t even know if they’d be _enough_ soon. 

“So, can I borrow?” Prompto asked, instead of answering the question. 

Gladio knew that he was not coping well with Noct and Iggy being together. He’d definitely been eying him carefully during mealtimes, watching him like a hawk when he headed to the bathroom. They all did, when they were together. 

He knew what they thought. He knew his obsession with going to the gym wasn’t helping either. He was on the edge of a serious intervention, one whiff of what he was actually doing in the bathroom and they might actually send him off to a rehab. 

Gladio finished wiping down the sweat off his body and slung the towel over his shoulder. “I’m coming with. I could use a good camping trip, I know what you mean about Lestallum being suffocating.” 

He didn’t want Gladio to come with. But… he didn’t have the excuse for not letting him come. “Cool, cool, cool,” he said. He grinned cheekily. “You can set up the campsite!” 

Gladio snorted. “Sounds like a deal.” 

Prompto nodded and turned to leave. But before he cleared the door, he paused and turned back to look at the former shield. “You’re, uh,” he paused. “You’re not gonna ask Iggy and Noct to come along, are you?” 

Gladio raised his eyebrows. “No,” he answered. “I’m sure Iggy is busy with the restaurant this weekend.” 

Prompto nodded. He couldn’t help but feel relieved. He loved Noctis, and Iggy was still one of his best friends – but he couldn’t handle being around them for long amounts of time. Physically couldn’t. If he caught them so much as exchanging affectionate glances, he felt his condition worsening. 

He did convince Vyv to let him get photos of the Malmalam Thicket, but it was an excuse. He needed to talk to the Witch of the Thicket, to get some answers. She was the only person he knew that used magic and stuff. Other than…well… Noct. But he couldn’t _ask_ Noct. 

They left early the next morning. Gladio… ‘ _borrowed_ ’ the Regalia, and they left the city, turning southwest. Prompto drove, since Gladio hated being squashed into the foot well. He was dosed up with a hi-potion, and though his chest _ached_ the further they got away from the city, as he got from Noctis, he was still capable of concentrating on the road. 

They hiked through the greenery, waving to one or two leisure walkers on the way. The population was still wary of traveling, staying outside the bright, populated areas – but more and more people were venturing out now that the daemons were purged. 

But the people vanished they further they got up the mountain. They set up at the Kellebram Haven, inside the thicket itself. He took photos during the day, and when Gladio was asleep for the night, he snuck out of the tent. 

He clutched his pistol in hand, anxious and sick. He sipped a potion, trying to calm it down enough for him to get there. The ‘witch’ was sitting outside her cabin, stirring a cauldron. 

“Come closer, Prompto,” she invited, not looking up from her work. 

Swallowing nervously, he approached her across the clearing. She threw some ingredients into the cauldron and resumed stirring. He crouched next to her. “You know who I am?” 

“Dave told me about you and the rest of the prince’s little entourage.” She sniffed at him. “But you aren’t here for another quest.” She leaned forward, holding his face and looking into his eyes for a long moment. “You should have come to me sooner.” 

She handed him some glass potion vials and a ladle. The two of them silently filled the vials and stoppered them for an hour until the cauldron was empty. She began to rub it clean with salt and vinegar. 

“Can you help me?” He asked. 

“Only your beloved can help you, Prompto Argentum,” she replied. “But I can grant you the knowledge you came here to seek; and I can ease your passage.” Once it was clean, the gave him two buckets. “Fill these.” 

He did, and she was silent as she boiled the water and began to add ingredients from the pouch at her waist. 

“Is there no cure you can give me?” He asked, a desperate edge to his voice. 

“The curse is in your heart itself,” she answered, “you could cut it out, but there is no way to remove the curse and live.” 

“So… I’m doomed.” He’d known it to be true, but he hadn’t wanted it to be. He’d wished she would have a cure for him. The disappointment sunk like a stone in his turbulent stomach. 

“Only if you do not try to resolve the curse. It is a love curse, you know this much by now. You should begin by telling them what has happened to you. They may…”

“He won’t,” he said, cutting her off. “He’s with someone else. They’re getting engaged.” 

She looked at him pityingly. “You still ought to tell him. But all I can do is ease your suffering.” She finished the potion in the cauldron and handed him another crate of empty vials and a ladle. Together they filled them up and stoppered them. 

Prompto picked one up and squinted at it in the light. It looked almost like a potion, but the colour was different. Brighter, deeper. “What’s this?” He asked. 

“One of my potions,” she answered. “It is more potent than the ones you’ll buy in store. You’ll only need to take smaller doses less frequently.” Her wizened face watched him, sad. “You must tell him, Prompto Argentum,” she insisted. “It is the only true course to a solution.” She put a lid on the case for him. “These are for you.” 

He held the case carefully. “Should I come see you again when I’m empty.” 

She looked at him, but her eyes were pitying. She touched his arm, where his sleeve had hiked up and exposed the black veins spidering down his biceps. “You won’t need more.” 

Numb, he headed back to the thicket, on his way to camp. Gladio was sitting on one of the folding chairs, watching him with a grim expression. “You bought potions from the witch?” 

“No.” Gods, he couldn’t hold up any more. He buckled, carefully putting down the box before he crumbled on the floor. He found himself carefully cradled in Gladio’s arms. “I’m gonna die,” he gasped. “I can’t do anything and I’m gonna die.” 

Gladio held him close and murmured to him reassuringly, stroking his fingers through his hair. They stayed that way until the sun came up.


	5. Engagement

Prompto sat in the booth, preparing to deliver the most difficult news of his life. Underneath the table, Gladio carefully took his hand and gave it a reassuirng squeeze. “So, I have some news,” he begun.

Noct interrupted, his face aglow with excitement. “Us first,” he demanded. With a brilliant smile, he took Iggy’s hand on the table. Neither of them missed the diamond glinting on the former advisor’s finger. “We’re getting married.” 

To Gladio’s credit, he didn’t even react as Prompto’s hand clamped down on his. His short, brittle nails dug in to the spaces between his knuckles, but he didn’t react at all except to give him a reassuring squeeze in return. 

”Finally!” he announced with the loud enthusiasm his best friend came to expect from him. “Let’s toast!” But, faking clumsiness, he knocked over his (secretly virgin) drink to spill down the front of his shirt. “Fuck. Let me just…” He gestured towards the bathrooms. He stood and ‘ _drunkenly_ ’ stumbled off. 

He barely had a chance to shut the door before he was sick. Browning ichor spilled out of his nose and clenched lips as he stumbled over to the sink. The bout was the worst yet, and before he was done he was choking up scarlet red. 

The door opened and Gladio stepped in, locking the door behind him. “Titan’s ass, Prompto,” he said, surveying the mess. “That’s new. You’re getting worse.” 

Prompto grumbled and heaved again. 

He didn’t stop until Gladio fished a vial out of his own pocket and crushed it so the potion misted over him to work its magic. It only battened the nausea down instead of getting rid of it, but at least he felt capable of pretending to be human again. 

“Your shirt is ruined,” Gladio commented, and began unbuttoning his own. 

“You don’t have to do this, y’know?” Prompto said, grabbing some paper handtowels to clean up the mess he’d caused. 

“I’m not just going to make you go through this alone, Prompto,” he replied sourly, frowning at him. “You clearly aren’t going to tell them tonight. So, yeah. I’ll be here for you.” 

He sighed. He’d lied his ass off to Gladio once he’d calmed down enough to explain what he meant about the fact he was dying. He didn’t want him to get it into his head that he’d do the noble thing and tell Noct _anyway_ , despite Prompto’s wishes. 

So he’d told him it was because he was a clone. That he’d been made using starscourge and now that it had been cleansed from the world, there was nothing left for his body to maintain itself. That he was quickly deteriorating and there was nothing that could be done to _stop_ it. 

Gladio had been _devastated_ , and begged him to tell Iggy and Noct. With Noct’s magic and Iggy’s smarts, he was sure they would come up with _something_. 

Prompto had squashed the idea flat, telling him that the Witch had confirmed that there wasn’t anything to be done. That the potions she had given him were to ease his suffering, that there was no _cure_. That hadn’t been entirely a lie, had it? 

Still, he was desperately grateful to have Gladio’s support during this. Everything from the guy hanging onto some emergency potions for moments like these, or carrying Prompto back to his bedroom when he’d passed out on the bathroom from utter exhaustion. Even giving him _his shirt_ , because he’d ruined his own and had to hide it in the sanitary bin in the corner of the bathroom.

When Prompto emerged from the bathroom, he was drowning in the excess fabric of Gladio’s shirt on his wasted frame. At least it hid his actual shape. The former shield was wearing his singlet shirt and more than one person gave his muscles appreciative looks as they passed. 

Ignis was pouring out glasses of champagne as they returned to the booth, handing them over as the two settled back in their seats. The idea of alcohol turned his stomach, but what could he _do_? It was their engagement party, pretty much. 

Astrals, _their engagement_. He’d known it was coming, when Gladio had let slip about going ring shopping with Noct, but he thought he would have more _time_. 

The closer Noct got to Iggy, the more he showed him he was determined to love him, and him alone, for the rest of his life, the worse Prompto’s condition was going to get. Would he even _make it_ to the wedding? If he did, he doubted he’d last much longer after it. 

“So,” he slurred, tipping the champagne about as he leaned over the table towards the couple. “When’s the special day?” 

“Soon,” Ignis answered, smiling at Noct fondly. “We’ve known each other for years, we don’t see any reason to wait. As soon as it can all be planned, as a matter of fact.” 

“Cool, cool, cool,” Prompto said, pretending to take a big gulp of his champagne flute. 

Sensibly, Noct plucked it out of his hands and set it out of his reach. “I think you’ve had enough tonight, Prompto,” he said, his voice disapproving. 

“But we’re ceeeeebleratiiiiiing,” he whined. There had been enough drunken video footage he knew how to perfectly mimic himself. He snorted. “Did you hear that? I just said ceblerating!” 

“I’m going to get you some water,” Gladio declared, getting to his feet. 

“Ooh, can I have the fancy bubbly kind? With lots and lots of lime?” The bubbles would help his eternally queasy stomach, and the line got rid of the awful taste of mineral water. 

“Sure, kid.” 

He turned back to Iggy and Noct, giving them a drunken, dopey smile he knew all too well. “Soooo, who’s gonna wear the-” A bit of bile crawling up he disguised as a hiccup, “wear the wedding dress?” 

Iggy gave him a disapproving look. “Prompto.” 

He held up his hands defensively. “Fiiiine. I’ll be good.” 

Gladio came back with the drink, and Prompto chewed and sipped on the straw, letting his eyes glaze over as he looked off into a random direction. But he was listening carefully to every detail. 

Iggy had everything planned, and a decent idea of how to get it done in a timely manner. It couldn’t be more than a few months, and the thought terrified him. Three months, and he would be disconnected from Noct forever. Till death do him part. 

He fake-hiccupped again, swallowing down the sick that tried to crawl up his throat. 

Gladio touched his arm. “Come on, Chocobo Butt. Let’s get you home before you pass out on the table.” 

“Mmmmokay.” He got to his feet unsteadily and grabbed the wooden tabletop to steady himself. Iggy and Noct stood as well. Prompto couldn’t help himself, he wrapped his best friend in a tight embrace and clung on like it was the last moment he would ever have. 

Maybe it was. 

“Congratulations, buddy,” he mumbled into his friend’s soft, dark hair. He let himself enjoy Noct returning the brace for just a few moments and disentangled himself. He gave Ignis an unsteady glare. “If you hurt my bestie, I know where Gladio keeps the shovels!” 

Iggy chuckled. “I’m sure you do.” 

They were just down from their apartment, so they let Gladio take the Regalia to drive Prompto home. The blond dangled his arms out the passenger window and rested his head on his arms. 

“You didn’t tell them.” 

“I’m not going to,” he said, squeezing his eyes shut and enjoying the wind blowing across his face. 

“What the **hell** , Prompto?” Gladio growled furiously. “You said you were going to tell them!” 

He sniffled, “I _can’t_ ,” he said, miserably. “Gladio, they’re so _happy_. I can’t tell them. If I’m still around after they get back from their honeymoon—” They were going for two weeks to Altissia, Ignis had excitedly informed them, “—then I’ll tell them. But I can’t ruin their happy day like that.” 

“If?” Gladio echoed, turning to look at him as he parked outside their apartment. He sounded so _sad_. Prompto wished he’d never been vulnerable enough to tell him. “It’s only a few months away, you don’t think you’ll be there for that long?” 

Prompto rolled his head to look at him, eyes tired. “I want to be there for the wedding,” he said, determined. “It’s good to have goals, right? You last longer that way.” 

Gladio scrunched his face up, and Prompto got the feeling he was trying not to let himself cry. “Shut up, we’re going to fix this.” 

Prompto just shook his head. “My feet are all tingly. Can you help me up the stairs?” 

Gladio carried him, and he pretended not to notice little drops of dampness settling into his hair.

  


_This art is my recolouring of[Suarhnir's fantastic lineart that they gave me permission to edit and repost. Please go there and show your love for the work!](http://suarhnir.tumblr.com/post/171443275069)_


	6. Groom

“This gotta be the first wedding where both the best men are in love with the grooms.”

Prompto just groaned at him. He didn’t know exactly what had happened between Ignis and Gladio, but it all honestly made it easier to bear. Gladio wasn’t about to die, but at least he _understood_ Prompto’s other feelings. It only made him feel worse, that when he was gone Gladio would be alone in his misery. At least he had Iris and Talcott, he wouldn’t be _alone_ alone. Not like Prompto would’ve been if their situations were reversed. 

He looked down at the former shield, who was slowly rolling socks up over Prompto’s black veined feet. Things had been getting so bad at just the right speed that he knew the truth down to his crumbling bones: he wouldn’t survive Noctis’s wedding. 

He could barely wake up these days. Gladio needed to carry him between the bed and the bathroom. In potion-fueled bouts of consciousness, he managed to get a will, and letters for his three friends to opened after he was gone. 

He was so glad Ignis had decided they would wear their King’s Guard uniforms for the wedding – full-length sleeves and gloves and a high collar. He was covered all over in dark black veins. His eyes still looked right – and the insides of his mouth were red. But even his nail beds were inky black. But he caked make-up on and triple-dosed himself with the witch’s potion to get through the day without anyone else picking up how bad he’d gotten. 

”Prompto,” Gladio sad carefully. “Are you going to make it through the whole day?” 

“I’ve got to.” He gave his best attempt at a smile. “Open the package that got delivered for me last night, would you?” 

Gladio was wary, but he did. A sharp gasp escaped his lips as he tugged out two scarlet feathers. “Prompto… how the hell did you _afford_ these?” He hadn’t been able to work for months. 

He gave a tired smile. “I sold my camera.” 

Gladio looked up at him, shocked. “ **What**?”

“I can’t use it, and none of you care about photograhy. Vyv gave me a good price for it – told him Noct bought me a new model for the wedding.” 

“You **sold your _camera_?” He demanded. “Prompto, you _loved_ that camera! I still remember the first day you got it. You wouldn’t stop grinning the whole day!” **

****

“Like I said,” Prompto answered softly. “I don’t need it.” He watched as Gladio scowled and went back to the task of putting on his shoes and socks for him. “The last of the witch’s potion in a couple flasks in my uniform jacket. I’ll put the phoenix feathers in my gloves. That should be enough to get me through the ceremony and the reception until the newlyweds leave for the docks.” 

****

Gladio looked up at him when he dind’t keep going. “And then?” 

****

He avoided his eyes. “I got a hotel room for the night. There’s cash in an envelope for housekeeping or to hire a cleaning company.” 

****

“Fuck!” Gladio swore, standing up. “Tonight?” 

****

Prompto nodded tiredly. “Everything is in order. A community lawyer is executor of my will.” He tried not to cry, felt miserable as sticky black ichor began to dribble down his cheeks. “Do you want to say goodbye now or at the reception?” 

****

Gladio clenched his fists furiously. “I’ll be with you when it happens,” he said, his voice hard with decision. 

****

“Gladio… you don’t have to do this to yourself. That’s not… You don’t have to _see_.”

****

“Shut up, Prompto. I’ve seen you at your worst, passed out in starscourge and blood in the shower stall. And I’m not going to let you die alone.” He carefully lifted him to his feet. “And call that penny-lawyer. I’ll take care of everything for you, they’ll only fuck something up. 

****

He reached up and swiped away ichor from his face. “It’s not _fair_ on you, to have to deal with this. I’m sorry.” 

****

“And it’s not fair you have to _die_ either,” Gladio growled, pressing the phoenix feathers into his hands and sliding the gloves over his hand. “Come on. We’ve gotta go. They’ll be at the hotel soon.” 

****

_How would you spend your last day on earth?_ Noctis had asked once. The night before they were meant to go to Altissia for his wedding, the two of them lying on the edge of the dock, naked feet dipped in the water. 

****

_How else?_ He’d murmured, shifting to link their fingers together. He turned his head away from the moonlit sky to Noct’s curious face. _With you, doing everything I can to make you happy._

****

He laughed bitterly, as he made his way up the stairs to Noct’s room. “Guess you got your wish, hey Prompto?” He muttered to himself. He took another nip of the witch’s potion before he knocked on the door. 

****

It opened. Noct was half-dressed in the formal raiment they’d been saving for his wedding to Lunafreya. Well, for his wedding, he guessed. “Prompto!” he said, his face breaking into a relieved smile. 

****

Prompto smiled and stepped inside. “You’re a mess, Noct,” he murmured, closing the door behind him. “You’re meant to be downstairs in five minutes.” 

****

“I got all tangled up in the chains,” he mumbled, heading back towards his cloak. 

****

Prompto smiled fondly at him. “Come here.” 

****

Noct watched his face as he draped the cloak over his shoulders, then untwisting the chains and medallion down his back. Then he stepped around to his front to secure the armoured shoulder-pad and the thick gold chain pinned to his other shoulder. 

****

“You sure you’re okay, Prompto?” He murmured, concerned. 

****

“Duh,” he replied, grinning at him. “Dude, it’s your wedding day. I’m way excited for you.” 

****

“You don’t look like you are,” the prince replied, catching his hand and holding him still. “I know you’re far more upset about me and Specs than you want to say.” 

****

Prompto lifted his eyes to him and gave him a tired smile, stomach clenched tightly against a violent twist of nausea. “You love him,” he murmured quietly, the words tasting like death in his mouth. “All I ever want is for you to be happy, Noct. Everything else is second to that.” 

****

The prince took a shaky breath and reached up to shift a bit of hair out of Prompto’s eyes. “You know I feel the same, right?” 

****

_No. You don’t feel the same. That’s the reason this is happening to me._

****

He grinned and nudged him away with his elbow. “Geez, I know it’s your wedding day, but save the sap for your groom, would you?” He turned him around to face the door. “Go on. Go get him!” 

****

Noct took a deep breath, straightened his shoulders and walked towards the door. Prompto took out one of the flasks out of his pocket and took a deep swig, waiting until the churning of his stomach calmed to a loose roil. He tucked it back into his pocket, felt the phoenix down in his hand, and followed after his best friend.

****


	7. Til Death Do Us Part

“Do you, Ignis Stupeo Scientia, swear to take Noctis Lucis Caelum as your lawfully wedded husband, so long as you both shall live?” 

“I do.” 

Prompto grinned brightly at the couple, hand-in-hand, feeling like his entire body was dripped in acid. He could barely move, and he closed his mouth as Gladio gave him a warning look. He could feel sticky ichor sliding out of his eyes, and filling his mouth. He fought to breathe through his nose, and grabbed a handkerchief from his sleeve to wipe away what he thought he could convince everyone was ‘tears’. 

“Do you, Noctis Lucis Caelum, swear to take Ignis Stupeo Scientia as your lawfully wedded husband, so long as you both shall live?” 

His entire body clenched up in a seizure of pain, he could barely hold himself upright. But he and Gladio were leaning against the marble doorway their friends were being married beneath, so he didn’t fall. 

“I do.” 

If he thought he knew pain before, he was mistaken. His entire body arched uselessly, as if trying to escape the source of the pain. But the pain was inside him, burning through every nerve ending. He clenched one fist tightly around the phoenix down inside his love and gasped as he felt the bliss of restoring flame ebb over his entire body. 

The relief lasted only a moment, but he fished his flask out of his pocket and took a long draw. It bated the nausea, the suffering, the pain, but only so far until the celebrant announced: “I now pronounce you husbands, you may now share your first kiss as a wedded couple.” 

His mouth filled with bloody ichor, the taste of death and copper on his tongue. He reached for his flask again as he watched the back of Noct’s head as the newlyweds leaned in to kiss each other. But his body seized up as he knew their lips met. 

Gladio stepped up to his side, grabbing his hand quickly and squeezing it tightly. The phoenix down flamed to life in his palm and he felt the relief wash over him long enough he could drain the flask Gladio pressed into his hand. It was enough once the newlyweds parted, and they tossed magic sparks into the air above them. Like confetti or rice, but better for the environment. 

There weren’t many guests, but Iris and Talcott were there, as well as a couple members of the crownsguard and the Hunters. But they all followed the couple out from the hall and into the waiting dining room just beyond. 

Gladio made a toast, but Prompto could barely hear what he was saying. He raised his glass when everyone else did, raising it in the air, and then raised it to his lips to drink. As he sipped, he saw red and black swirl into the champagne. He hurriedly ‘ _dropped_ ’ it, blushing and laughing his apologies as he knelt down to pick it up. He swiped the rim clean with his handkerchief, swallowed half the contents of his potion flask until the taste of death left his mouth. 

When he settled back into his seat, Ignis was leaning close to him over his armrest. “Prompto, perhaps you would do best to slow down?” He suggested quietly. “You have been drinking more than your share today, even Noct has noticed.” 

He just pulled a face and sat back in his chair. Real mature, Prompto. 

They didn’t expect him to make a speech at least, and he sat and watched as they cut the cake, and fed each other from the first slice. He had a bite or two as Noct and Ignis watched, but hid the rest in a napkin. 

They danced, and Prompto sat on the chair. He could feel himself weakening at every moment, no matter how often he sipped from his flask. How fast would he be declining without it? He’d had to use both phoenix feathers in the ceremony, he clung on to consciousness with sheer willpower he never knew he had. 

The chair beside him scraped and he looked over, expecting to see Gladio. But it was Noct, slick with sweat, face flushed and _aglow with happiness_. “Hey, you’re not dancing?” 

He grinned lazily. “Nah. Some of us didn’t grow up with ballroom dancing every weekend.” He settled back in his chair. “You tired out?” 

“Mm.” The groom leaned on his hand, smiling at Prompto. “We’ll be going soon. We gotta make a ferry in Galdin before nightfall.” 

_This is the last conversation we’ll ever have_. The fact struck him and he felt his eyes brimming with tears. Black, sticky tears he felt roll down his cheeks. 

“You’re gonna ruin your eyeliner,” Noct said, soft and sad, reaching up with the pure white cotton gloves to swipe the black sticky tears off his cheeks. 

“You’re gonna ruin your gloves,” he replied, avoiding his eyes. He took his handkerchief out and wiped his cheeks up. He folded it away, glad that Noct hadn’t noticed or wasn’t mentioning the other dark stains. “Hey, Noct?” He said, going quiet as he let seriousness wash over their moment. 

“Yeah, Prom?” He asked, watching him carefully. 

“I’m so happy for you, bro.” He took his hand, their gloves dulled the sensation of their touch, but he gripped on tightly. “I swear… I never thought I’d see you happy again after they said you had to leave to get married to Lunafreya. After all the shit that happened after that.” He squeezed his hand. “I just… I can’t even say how much it means to be to see you happy.” 

Noct just smiled at him, one of those rare soft smiles Prompto liked to think only belonged to him. “Thanks.” 

Prompto looked at him with a sad smile. “Your dad would be so happy for you too,” he told him. He had no idea about _that_ , but he got the sense from the others that Regis had been a loving father before he was the king. And he’d _liked_ Ignis. He’d be happy the two of them could find happiness together. 

Noct’s eyes grew shiny, and he gave one soft sob, squeezing his hand gratefully. He raised it to kiss his knuckles through the glove. “Thanks, Prom.” He lowered their hands and gave him a weak smile. “When we get back, we’ll work on you, hm?” He suggested. “I know we’ve been tangled up in ‘us’ for a while, but when we get back I promise I’m gonna be a better friend, okay?” 

_I won’t be here_ , he thought quietly. He ducked his eyes. “You’ve been great, Noct. A better friend than I ever thought I could have. Thank you. For being my friend.” 

“You sound like you’re saying goodbye,” Noct whispered, confused and distressed. 

“Well. You’re going on your honeymoon,” he said, forcing his face into a grin. “Look, Iggy’s on his way now.” 

The other groom arrived, Gladio trailing beside him. “Noct. We must make our goodbyes.” Ignis announced. The two of them headed around to the other guests. 

“You doing okay, Prompto?” Gladio murmured. 

“I’m hanging on.” He fumbled out his flask and drained it. The last dose he had, he’d ever need. Gladio helped him up and they followed the newlyweds out to the street where the Regalia was waiting. 

He grinned and waved with the rest of them. They all threw magic sparks and cheered as the car purred to life and drove away. “Goodbye Noct,” he whispered. He was gone. He was gone and Prompto would never see him again. 

He felt like his body was on fire. Not the good kind of fire, the phoenix down. The pain was unbearable. His muscles were locked, he was a flaming statue. 

Gladio gripped his arm. “Prompto?” 

“Help me,” he choked out, hardly able to force his throat to work through the twisting, clenching pain. “Gladdy, I can’t _move_.” His heart was thundering in his chest, lungs feeling thick and full. “Gladio, _help me_.”

Gladio’s arms wrapped around him, carefully lifting him up into his arms and cradling him close. “I’ve got you.” His voice was tight, twisted with heavy emotion. Prompto just closed his eyes. “I’ve got you, Prompto. I’m not going to leave you alone.”


	8. Honeymoon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um... some mild gore in this chapter describing Prompto's condition? I'll summarize at the beginning of the next chapter if you want to skip.

The air in the car was tense. Noct glanced at Ignis out of the corner of his eye, hesitant. “Are you…angry at me?”

“No.” He said it too fast, too harsh. 

“But you are angry.” 

“No, I am not,” Iggy replied, still short and curt. 

“You _sound_ angry.” 

“I’m _not_ ,” he answered sharply. He seemed to recognise his own tone of voice. “I’m merely frustrated, Noct. We’re meant to be on our honeymoon, and now we’re landlocked.” 

“They put the travel ban on _yesterday_ ,” Noct pointed out. “We wouldn’t have known.” He shifted restlessly. “We could’ve stayed at Galdin. It’s not Altissia, but it’d still be a vacation.” 

“And put up with you _fishing_ all day?” Ignis snapped impatiently. 

Noct flinched, looking out the window. “I _like_ fishing,” he mumbled. 

His husband ( _husband! That still made him spark with excitement_ ) glanced at him. “I apologise,” he said. “I’m very frustrated, Noctis.” He rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I’d rather go home and save the money, so we can go later. When the ban is lifted.” 

“Okay,” he said. “But we had the fumigator coming in. We can’t go back to our place.” 

“We could stay at Gladio’s,” Ignis commented. 

“Oh, that’s romantic,” Noct muttered. 

“Noctis,” Ignis warned. 

“ _What_?” He asked, sulking. “You wanna stay with our best friends on the first night of our honeymoon. I think you can see why I’m upset.” 

“Fine,” Ignis replied. “We’ll get a suite at the Leville.” 

Noct nodded. “Yeah. Okay.” That was fine. He slumped down in the passenger seat, making himself comfortable. He dozed off, watching the landscape fly past. 

He must’ve dozed off, ‘cause when he woke up they were emerging from the tunnel into the main street of Lestallum. He yawned and stretched. “Mm, here all ready?” 

“You _slept_.” Ignis sounded irritable. When Noct glanced at him, he looked tired and grumpy. 

“Come on. I’ll get the bags.” The two of them made their way down the alleyway to the Leville. 

But they ran into trouble at the desk. They were friendly, they knew Ignis by name – but they were apologetic. “There’s no more rooms left,” they said, looking apologetic. 

“Surely there has to be _something_ you can do,” Ignis said. “We’ve been driving for ours. It’s our _wedding night_.”

The clerk looked about, then leaned across the counter. “Your friend Prompto got a room for the night. The big guy carried him upstairs after the reception – he must’ve been off his face. But if the big guy’s still there, you can probably convince him to give you the room.” 

Noctis sighed. How much had Prompto drunk after he left if he was so messy he needed to be _carried_ up to his room. 

Ignis’s expression was grim. “Can you tell us the room number?” 

They headed towards the stairs. “Ignis… we’re not really kicking Prom and Gladio out of their room, right?” 

His husband sighed irritably. “No. I just want to have a small powernap, and then I’ll ask if we can head to our old apartment. I’ve been awake since before dawn, Noct. I need some rest.” 

“Okay.” That would be fine. He guessed. 

They came to the right door and knocked. There was no response and Ignis scowled, thumping his fist on the door repeatedly in agitation. Prompto hadn’t seen him so annoyed in ages. 

Eventually, the door creaked open. Gladio was standing in the parted doorway – naked except for a towel clutched around his hips. “ _Ignis?_ ” He asked, startled. He slid his eyes over to Noct as well. “What are you two doing here?” 

“Travel ban,” Noct said, shrugging his shoulder lazily. “Can we come in? Specs has been driving all day.” 

Gladio glanced back at the inside of the ballroom and shifted, closing the door a little more so it was just his head visible. “I don’t think that’s a particularly good idea at the moment,” he said evasively. 

“Gladiolus,” Ignis growled. “I don’t care if you two are _fucking_ in the room. If you don’t let me sleep in the next few minutes, _somebody_ is going to end up dead.” 

“Ignis, I—”

He didn’t finish. From deep inside the room came a tortured scream of pain. Noctis recognised that sound immediately. 

“Prompto!” he shouted, panicked. He shoved at the door – he wasn’t stronger than Gladiolus by any means, but he’d broke from the door as soon as he heard the noise. 

The former shield rushed to the bathroom, and Noct was hot on his heels. He froze at the door, mouth dropping open in horror. Prompto’s clothes were ripped, flung all over the floor. There was something black and sticky and slick smudged on the floor and the features of the bathroom, along with pools of water from the shower. 

He was almost terrified to look in the bath tub, but he did. Gladio was climbing back into the tub, and carefully cradling the mess in his arms. That mess was his _best friend_.

Prompto was almost completely unrecognisable. He was skeletally thin, every bone visible through skin. Skin that almost looked tattooed at first, until he looked harder. It was his veins, underneath the skin, pumping black blood through his veins. 

He darted his eyes at the mess on the floor. Not blood. Something sticky and corrupt, like starscourge. But not quite. 

His attention went back to Prompto, taking the rest of the horrifying picture before him. 

Everything from his blackened nailbeds and the whites of his eyes was tainted with the not-starscourge. But as he stood there and watched, Prompto writhed, back arching, before he heaved and scarlet red blood spewed out over his own chest and legs. 

“Shhh,” Gladio murmured soothingly to the blond. 

“Gladdy,” Prompto slurred. As he spoke, Noct could see the inside of his was black too, his teeth stained with the black slick and what he was forced to admit was blood. 

“I’m going to turn the shower head on, okay?” He replied, picking up the metal nozzle. Prompto only whined in answer. Gladio only had the water on a low spray, and he checked the temp with his hand first, but when the water dribbled on Prompto, the blond seized up with a cry of pain. 

He struggled hard in Gladio’s overly muscular grip, but he quickly tired out and collapsed on the tattooed chest bonelessly. “Gladdy,” he slurred, breath heaving his chest in slow, pained movements. “I can’t feel my feet.” 

“Prompto,” Noct whispered, horrified. 

He didn’t seem to hear. In another moment, Prompto seized again, writhing with a scream of pain. Like he was being _torn apart_ from the inside. _Maybe he was_. Bony limbs knocked against the ceramic tub, and the pitch of his cries heightened as Noct watched his arm twist in an unnatural direction. 

“Shhh,” Gladio said, but his own voice was rough and distressed with emotion. He popped the elbow joint back into place, flinching at Prompto’s scream, and restrained his limbs with his arms and legs. 

Red tears leaked out of Prompto’s eyes and he slid his eyes closed. He heaved a few breaths, cough and choked up blood that leaked and dribbled out of his mouth, then slumped lifelessly in Gladio’s arms. 

“Prompto!” Noct yelled, panicked. His fear won out over his horror and he could suddenly move, stumbling forward and falling to his knees beside the tub. He yanked up his hand and held it tightly. 

Gladio’s hands were at his neck, two fingers against his artery. “There’s a pulse,” he told Noct, his voice low and tired. “It’s weak, but it’s there.” 

“What’s _happening_?” Noct asked, hearing how badly his voice cracked with his desperation. 

“He’s dying,” Gladio said. But it was tired, resigned, and distraught. 

There was a shift from the doorway, and Noct realised for the first time that Ignis was there too. “What can we do?”


	9. Work It Out

“What do you know?”

Gladio glanced at Ignis, shifting his jacket sleeves over his arms. It was a nervous gesture, and Ignis did not intend to let up any time soon. “I’ve told you,” the former shield repeated. “Prompto said that he was made from Starscourge, and he’s been deteriorating because there’s none left to sustain his body.” 

“Yes, so you said,” Ignis replied flatly. “But I asked what you _know_.” 

Gladio sighed heavily. “Nothing escapes you, does it?” 

“Prompto’s terminal illness did,” he said, guilt washing over him. “We both knew there was something wrong. He’s been drinking a lot, and we noticed he’d been particular with food lately.” 

“He hasn’t,” Gladio answered, his voice low. 

“Hm?” 

“Been drinking. Unless you count potions.” Brown eyes shifted to look at him as they hurried through the alleyways. “You guys don’t live with us any more, we meet like once a week. You two weren’t around enough to see the extent of the problem.” 

“Why didn’t you just inform us then, Gladio?” Ignis asked, concern and suspicion warring in his chest. “We’re meant to be friends.” 

“He was meant to tell you,” he answered. “When we got back from our camping trip. But Noct announced your engagement, and he changed his mind.” He shifted. “He didn’t want you two to feel guilty about it.” 

Ignis frowned. That was… a peculiar comment. “Is that how he phrased it?” 

“No,” Gladio answered. “But that’s what he meant.” 

“Why would he think that?” Ignis asked, frowning. He was missing something key here. 

Gladio sighed heavily. “Because he’s not _dying_ because he’s a clone.” 

Ignis came to a sudden stop and whirled around to face him. “Then what—?” 

“I overheard him at the witch’s cabin,” Gladio replied, avoiding his eyes. “It’s a curse, in his heart. He said the only one who could _help_ him was getting _engaged_.” 

He stared at Gladio, the information sinking in. There was a guilty twist in his stomach. “Me or Noct?” 

Gladio gave him a look. Ignis could read it perfectly. All at once it seemed to say: ‘ _I don’t really know, Ignis, it depends on what the curse really is. But I think we both know it’s Noct, because who else it would be?_ ’ 

“Oh.” 

For his part, Gladio seemed to understand everything that went with that one syllable in return. “Come on. I promised Prompto I would be there for him when he…” He trailed off, not wanting to say the words. “Let’s just get these potions and go back.” 

They both knew that the potions wouldn’t help. Prompto was too far gone to recover, and it was all but impossible that there would be a phoenix down in stock. But Ignis needed to try, and if it helped enough that they could say proper goodbyes, to make sure Prompto knew he wasn’t dying alone without them…

He swallowed, not wanting to think about it. 

They hurried to the nearest store, bought all the potions they were allowed to, and hurried back to the Leville. 

“Gladio,” he said carefully, shifting the bundle in his arms. “Do you… do you know what kind of curse it is?” 

The former shield didn’t answer at first, a crate balanced on his shoulder. But once Ignis asked the question again, he sighed. “Not exactly,” he answered. “But… The timing.” 

“The timing?” Ignis prompted, What did he mean by that. 

“I mean,” he sighed, “as far as I can tell, this only started when you and Noctis moved out together. It got bad enough he wanted to look for help when you two were getting engaged. Since then it’s getting worse and worse – and the day he dies? It’s your _wedding day_.” Gladio’s expression was stony, grim. “Do the math, Ignis.” 

Gladio was right. The timing was too incidental. “Whatever it is,” he said carefully, testing his thoughts, “it’s because Noct and I are…”

“Yeah.” 

He didn’t want to dwell on that for too long. That way lay madness. 

They hurried back to the hotel, quickly letting themselves into the hotel room. But they both paused in the doorway. 

Noct was sitting up in the big bed, arms carefully supporting the emaciated figure of Prompto against his chest. “It’s okay,” Noct was whispering, his voice tight with a repressed whimper. “I’m here,” he continued, fingers stroking through the lifeless yellow hair. “I love you, and I’m sorry I left you alone,” he added, his voice thick with tears, fat ones rolling down his cheeks. “But I’m gonna stay here by your side until… until you’re better, okay? I promise.” 

The bottles of potion clinked inside Gladio’s crate and Noct looked up. He hurriedly wiped his eyes. “Oh, hey guys. You’re back. Did you find any?” 

“Just potions,” Gladio answered. “You moved him?” 

“He’s doing better,” Noctis replied, still carding his fingers through Prompto’s hair. “His breathing evened out, and he woke up for a little bit. He was tired though, he went back to sleep pretty quickly.” He looked up at Gladio, and Ignis thought he saw something like jealousy in his eyes. “He asked for you. I told him you were just going to get potions.” 

Gladio came to sit next to Noctis on the bed. He took up Prompto’s hand, inspecting it carefully. “Looks like he’s getting better,” he murmured, surprised. 

That solved it, then. There was no question left in Ignis’s mind about what had happened to Prompto. “Noct,” he said, coming to stand at the end of the bed. “Gladio has something to tell you about Prompto’s condition.”


	10. Anger

Gladio stood and shifted towards the door. “I’ll leave you two to talk alone.” He carefully lifted Prompto out of the bed and carried him into the bathroom. 

Anxious, Noctis turned to his husband. “Specs…”

“I don’t know if there’s much to say, Noct,” Ignis replied. His voice was all calm, business-like reserve. It made Noct _ache_ with how much he must be hurting, how hard he had to block out to make himself deal with it. “I’m not going to be responsible for Prompto’s _death_ , so there really is no choice.” 

“Ignis,” he said, pain twisting in his chest. “Wait, it’s…”

“Noct,” he interrupted. “Please understand – I simply cannot discuss this at the current juncture. Everything is still too raw. I require _time_. Every plan for our future has been utterly destroyed, I need to process and readjust. You are able to understand that, right?” 

“Ignis, please,” he said weakly. “We just got _married_. This is meant to be the honeymoon, where we’re at our happiest. Don’t… don’t…”

Ignis just shook his head firmly. He raised his hands, eyes squeezing closed behind his spectacles as he eased the two rings off his fingers. Noct thought he was going to _throw up_ , watching Ignis crossed to the coffee table and placed the two rings down on the glass top. “What you do is up to you, Noct,” he said, his voice low and resigned. “But I will not be responsible for Prompto’s death.” 

Noct watched, rigid and numb, as Ignis took up the keys on the top and headed towards the door. He paused. “I’ve asked Gladio to keep me updated on his condition. I…” He hesitated, and then gave a deep sigh. “I hope you’ll do the best thing, Noctis. I don’t… Let’s not make this parting for nothing, hm?” 

Noctis thought he was going to _explode_. How **dare** he? He fought away his upset, burying it down with blistering, burning anger. It was the best way to _deal_ with his grief, at least at first. When it was still new. 

He took up the rings, clenching them in his fist. He felt the diamond of the engagement ring digging in to his palm. 

He heard the bathroom door open. “Look who’s up!” Gladio commented, an obvious smile in his voice. 

He didn’t look back. He couldn’t. “Gladiolus, can you give us a moment? We need to have a _talk_.”

There was a hesitation. But a small, weak, rough voice answered softly. “It’s okay, Gladio. Just put me down on the bed.” 

Noctis waited, his anger only building and bubbling over in his chest as he listened to Gladio carry his supposed best friend to the bed and settled him in. “I’ll be outside, okay? Just call for me if you need me.” 

“it’s okay, Gladio,” Prompto answered weakly. “Go get something to eat. You’ve been looking after me all night. Take a break.” 

“Are you sure?” He asked, his voice quiet and wary. 

“Positive. It’s alright, it’s just _Noct_.”

He stayed silent until he heard the door close. He let his fury bubble over, clenching his fists tighter. “How fucking **dare** you?” He demanded. 

“I know,” Prompto said softly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t choose this, it’s not fair on you.” 

“You’re damn right!” He snarled. “Prompto, we were best friends. We’re supposed to be best friends!” 

“I’m sorry,” Prompto replied. “I…” He trailed off for a moment, Noct could feel eyes on his back. “I was never going to do anything about it. I’ve only ever wanted you to be happy. I…”

“Well, you screwed that up, didn’t you?” Noct snapped. “Had to put your literal _life_ on the line and force my hand!” 

Prompto was silent for a long time. “That’s why I never told you,” he admitted, his voice low, defeated. “Maybe I _should_ have told you, the moment you found me in Zegnautus Keep. But I… I didn’t. Couldn’t _make_ myself. 

…Zegnautus Keep. “That was **years** ago, Prompto!” He snarled. “How could you _keep_ this from me? For so long?” 

“Because…” Prompto sniffled slightly. “I didn’t want you to feel guilty, Noct. I never wanted you to give up what you wanted for me.” 

“So **what**?” Noct shouted. “You didn’t think I’d feel _guilty_ when I found out you died because of _me_?”

“You were never supposed to know.” Prompto sounded so tired, so resigned. Noct wanted him to get _angry_ , to fight back. He couldn’t stay angry if Prompto didn’t fight back! 

He whirled around to face him, to shout at him, but his words died on his tongue. How had he forgotten how _sick_ Prompto looked? 

The blond was bone-thin, he knew that. He’d been unconscious before, and everything like him had looked lifeless. Everything from his limp, lustreless hair to the brittle nails at the end of blackened, numb toes. 

But Prompto had always been so bright, vivacious. A ray of light even in the darkest of times – even if he was being serious. But he wasn’t glowing now. 

He was curled up on his side. Every limb fell against the bed, as if gravity was just too much. Even if Prompto’s eyes had sometimes looked _so sad_ , they’d never looked _dead_ before. Not like now. They were looking at him, but they were a dull flat colour. Murky red tears had leaked out of his eyes, running down his face onto the towel tucked over the pillow. 

“Oh, Prompto…” He felt all his anger drain away. How could he be so angry at someone who would rather die than make him be unhappy? He lay down on the bed beside him, carefully taking up his hand. He rested his head on the same pillow, careful not to touch the stained pillow. “I’m sorry.” 

“What are you sorry for?” Prompto mumbled, watching him with those dull, lifeless, resigned eyes. 

“For yelling at you,” he started, “for not seeing how bad you were getting, for making you feel like you couldn’t tell the truth.” His breath hitched. “For falling for Ardyn’s tricks and pushing you off the train and getting you captured.” He shifted his other hand and tugged the sheets up over them both. “Prompto, I’m _so happy_ you’re alive. You… I can’t even say how much.” 

“I’m sorry,” the blond mumbled, letting his eyes fall closed. 

“Your _life_ is worth so much more to me, Prompto,” he murmured. “It’s… Ignis ended it.” 

“I’m _sorry_ ,” Prompto whispered, squeezing his eyes shut as red brimmed them again, sliding out and dropping onto the towel. “I ruined _everything_.”

“But you’re _alive_ , Prompto,” Noct said. “And that’s way more important.” He squeezed his hand reassuringly. “Just rest, Prompto. We…” He sighed. “We have a lot to face.” _**I** have a lot to face._ “Let’s just… Let’s rest.” 

Prompto gave him a miserable look and closed his eyes, his expression falling lifeless. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled, yet again. 

“I know.”


	11. Arrangement

Prompto stared at his foot, poking out of the bathtub. Poking out of the cover of bubbles, the foot _should_ have been the delicate, soft, wrinkled pink of its twin on the other side. Through of course of daily potions, physical rehab, training with Gladio, and nightly bed-sharing with Noct over the last few months, he was finally back to normal standards. Things were supposed to be back to normal. 

But there, sticking out of the foamy water, was his left foot, the veins black and stark against his pale skin. 

There was a knock on the door and he quickly sat up, sliding both feet underneath the cover of the bubbles. "Come in!" 

It was Gladio. “Hey,” he said. “That was Noct. He said he’s going to be home late tonight. You gonna be okay?” 

He hadn’t even heard the phone ringing. “Mm. Yeah.” He reached forward and grabbed the plug. “Wanna get take-out and watch a movie?” 

“Sounds like a plan.” He stretched. “Shish-kebabs?” 

Prompto snorted. Gladio was almost as averse to vegetables as Noct was. “Yeah, works for me. If there’s salad though…” 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” he said, rolling his eyes. “I’ll head out now while you get dressed.” 

Prompto just grinned and waited until he had left the room before he stood up out of the tub. Surely it was just paranoia that told him that the feeling in his foot was just a _little_ bit duller than the other. It was all in his head. That had to be it. 

By the time Gladio came back, Prompto was dressed in his pyjamas, a pair of fluffy socks on his feet, hair pinned back with a number of bobby pins to dry in the right direction. He was rubbing moisturizer into his dry palms, watching some wedding show on the TV. 

“Really, Prompto?” 

“It’s intense,” he replied. “Caius said he hated the centrepieces at Aurora’s wedding, but his are _identical_ two days later. _Draaamaaaa_.”

Gladio usually pretended to be disinterested, but would sit with him and watch it with as much attention as he did. But today he reached over and turned the TV off, sitting down to face him. “Prompto.” 

He frowned, concerned, and sat back. “What’s up?” He asked. 

“I, uh… while I was out, I saw Noct.” He looked at him carefully, as a feeling of dread sunk through to his stomach. “He was… he was out with a guy. It… I’m pretty sure it was a date.” 

“Oh.” He flexed his foot, feeling the numbness spread, just a little more. “That makes sense.” 

Gladio scowled, his face furrowing up deeply. “You don’t seem _surprised_ , Prompto.” 

“I’m not.” He wiggled his toes a bit. “He… well, sex was never the issue. So we decided months ago that he could have a fuckbuddy if he wanted. He’s been seeing the same guy for a while. I guess he accidentally caught feelings.” He shifted his foot again. 

Gladio glared at him suspiciously, then he launched forward and grabbed his leg, holding it immobile as he wrestled the sock off. 

“Gladio!” 

He stared at the blacked veins on Prompto’s foot. He swore and grabbed his phone, clamping his foot in place as he took a couple photos. 

“Gladio, let go!” 

“No, Prompto,” Gladio growled. “I put up with you dying from secrecy _once_ , like **hell** I’m going to let you do it again!” 

Prompto was helpless, leg pinned in Gladio’s relentless grip, as Gladio sent the photo into the group chat. He slumped down on the couch, miserable. He felt his phone buzz half a dozen times before it muted itself. Gladio was busy texting, thumb flying over the screen. “Can you let go now?” 

Gladio released his leg and handed him a container of food, settling in to keep messaging their friends. He rolled over onto his side and stared at the back of the couch. 

“Are you sulking?” Gladio asked dubiously. 

“Maybe,” he grumbled, letting himself slump weakly on the couch cushions. “It’s not your decision to tell them that.” 

“I’m not being stuck in the middle only more,” Gladio replied. “The relationship is between _you and Noct_ , I don’t want to be involved any more.” 

“And here you are interfering anyway.” 

“The curse is flaring up again,” he answered. “That’s where I draw the line.” 

Prompto just sighed. “I can’t be bothered to argue with you.” He stood up, his bare foot felt weird against the carpet. “I’m going to bed.” 

“Prompto. You haven’t eaten,” Gladio pointed out. 

“I feel _sick_ ,” he snapped back. “I’ll eat when I feel better. Just leave some in the fridge for me to have in the morning.” 

He curled up on his side in the bed he shared with Noct. He expected the former prince to come home quickly, but it was still hours later and he was still alone in the bed. He felt little pinpricks of numbness began to spread up from his foot. As midnight passed and he heard Gladio going to bed, he kicked the blankets off to lift his foot up into the patch of light flooding through the parted curtains. His skin was black, like he’d dipped his feet in ink. 

The door opened and he quickly shoved his foot back under the blankets. Noct came in, and at least he looked freshly showered. He stayed still, waiting for him to speak first. 

“Are you awake?” Noct asked. 

“Yeah,” he answered, not even pretending he wasn’t. 

“How’s your foot?” The former prince asked, sitting next to him on the bed. 

“Pretty fucked up,” he replied. “How’s your boyfriend?” 

Noct sighed heavily. “Prompto.” 

“What?” He replied tiredly. “I _get it_ , Noct. I’m sure you didn’t go into it with the intention of catching feels, but who can blame you? He was a fantastic guy.” 

“I’ll break up with him,” Noct answered, “before I get any deeper.” 

Prompto shrugged, finally turning to look at him. “It’s just my foot. No need to rush into ruining your happiness.” 

Noct frowned at him at that. “I’ll meet him for coffee tomorrow. I’ll end things then.” 

“Do what you like,” Prompto said tiredly, settling back on the pillow. Like Noct ever intended to do differently. 

He just sighed and leaned in to kiss Prompto’s forehead. “We’ll talk about things again after, okay? Obviously this arrangement isn’t working either.” Without waiting for an answer, his weight left the bed and his footsteps retreated.


	12. Prodigal

Gladio was sitting at the couch, lacing up his boots for the day, listening to the quiet conversation of Prompto and Noct at the table behind him, when the door opened. Ignis Scientia walked in, and his breath choked in his throat. 

Ignis looked good. _Unfairly_ good. Altissia was treating him well. 

He was dressed in new clothes – a formal silk shirt, in a peach so pale it almost looked pure white; suit pants charcoal and fitted to his legs and waist in a way that was only possible with tailoring. He’d been exercising, getting sun and fresh air – it showed in his glowing skin and fit body. He’d gotten new glasses, a recent haircut. 

Ignis looked like he’d just walked out from his daydreams. 

The sudden silence from the table reminded him that he wasn’t the only one in the room. He dropped his eyes down and finished knotting up his boots, before getting to his feet. “Come on, Prompto. We’ll go to the gym, and they can talk.” 

The blond was restless and antsy the entire time they were out. Carefully favouring one leg any time they had to walk. Gladio didn’t ask. He knew what it was about. He was a little bit jealous too – though he had no reason to be. Prompto and Noct had a kind of… forced relationship going on between them, but it was a relationship going on. An understanding, if not a promise. 

Gladio may have had his cap set at Ignis since they were both teenagers, trying to corral Noctis who was escaping court life to try and spend time with his new best friend – but they were never together. 

It wasn’t exactly that Iggy had looked his way. He’d certainly gotten an appreciative glance or two over the years. Possibly some compliments that could be constituted as flirting. But they were a never anything close to a thing. Maybe Iggy had never had an eye on anyone but Noct. 

He had his own jealousies, so he could imagine what Prompto felt like. The two of them had been _married_. Even if Iggy had ended things, had found a loophole for leaving the country, the fact was still there. Hanging between the three (the _four_ ) of them like a threat. 

He piggy-backed Prompto up the stairs, both of them too impatient to wait for Prompto to hobble up the stairs. He didn’t know what he expected when he arrived home, but Iggy wearing his pyjamas was not one of them. 

His own singlet, with a burgundy wine stain down the stomach to explain why he’d changed in the first place, paired with Gladio’s favourite pyjama pants. Cotton-soft flannelette pants he’d worn in over years. They were obviously too long for Iggy, but the extra inches were folded up at the ankle, and the drawstring tied and knotted to cinch in the waste. 

“Ah, Prompto,” Ignis said, closing his book. “You’d best go change. Noctis is taking you out to dinner tonight.” 

“He is?” The blond asked dubiously. 

Iggy just nodded, and the two remaining watched as he headed into the bedroom. “Dinner?” Gladio asked dubiously. 

“I’d love some,” he replied, a slight smirk on his lips. “Shall we order in?” 

“Well, you know _I’m_ not going to cook,” Gladio answered. “Unless you feel like Cup Noodles, we’re going to have to order.” 

Ignis chuckled. “I’ll grab the menus, shall I?” 

Noct and Prompto went out, dressed in some of their better clothes. It was good to see Prompto filling out his clothes again, his weight gain on track. 

Iggy and Gladio sat on the couch, eating noodles (the expensive, gourmet kind, not from a cup) out of paper boxes with a competitive cooking competition showed on the TV. 

“So…” Gladio replied, as the credits rolled on the third episode. “You really came all the way back from Altissia just to make Noct take Prompto out to dinner?” He ventured to begin the conversation. 

“No,” Iggy replied, briefly flicking his gaze over to him. “Obviously I wouldn’t do that.” He set down his carton of food and turned to look at him, muting the TV with the click of a button. “I came back to talk some sense into Noctis.” He looked serious for a long moment. “I didn’t destroy our marriage to watch him kill Prompto anyway.” 

Gladio huffed a little. “How’d that go?” 

“Surprisingly well.” Ignis turned back to the television as the show began again. “If I gathered correctly from the conversation, Noct’s intentions towards his partner were always…temporary, shall we say?” 

“A rebound,” Gladio agreed, nodding slightly. “I guessed. But he took it too far.” 

“I don’t know if I would go so far as to say that,” Ignis replied. “He only took it so far as felt natural. And now he may focus on the situation between himself and Prompto.” 

Gladio gave him a long, considering look. “How… how are you coping with all this, Iggy?” 

“Hm?” 

He frowned, concerned. “I know I haven’t exactly been the best friend to you since this all went down. But… well, you ran away to Accordo before I could really check in. I’ve seen Noct and Prompto deal with it all, but… well. How are _you_.” 

“I’m quite well,” Ignis answered. But Gladio knew it was reflex, and glared at him to get a proper answer. “By which I mean to say… I have been slowly recovering.” 

“I’m sorry I haven’t been there for you,” he murmured quietly. 

“There’s no need to apologize, Gladio,” Iggy said softly, reaching out to grasp his arm. “It was only possible for me to leave knowing that you would be here to take care of the others.” He sighed and leaned back into his seat. “I must say, however, that I’ve missed you all quite fiercely. As… beneficial as Altissia has been to my mental health, it has been quite lonely.” 

“What?” Gladio asked, desperate for some lightness to the conversation. “Your rebound wasn’t chatty?” 

Ignis studied him a moment, and he worried – he wasn’t sure if he sounded jealous or not. “That’s not the method I chose to cope with the situation,” he answered. 

“Right.” He turned to look back at the screen. “Put the sound back on. They’re about to bid on the sabotages for the first round.” 

They were still awake, though now settled on a movie, when Noct and Prompto came home. They were laughing, and immediately grabbed the PS5 to take into their bedroom. 

“Looks like you did good,” Gladio told Iggy, after the door closed behind the two of them. 

“It would seem so.” He stood and stretched. “Well. I have been travelling all day. I shall retire, I think.” He waited expectantly. 

“Oh.” Gladio said. “Well… You’re welcome to sleep in my bed?” He ventured, not sure what Ignis was waiting for. “We got rid of the bunk beds months ago. But I guess I’ll—” 

“Don’t even _suggest_ that you will sleep on the couch, Gladiolus Amicitia,” he interrupted firmly. “That’s nonsense. We will simply share the bed. We’ve done so before, and that tent was far closer quarters. I’ll brook no arguments.” 

Ignis. Wearing his clothes. Demanding they share a bed. Right. “Okay.” He got to his feet. “I’ll be in after a shower,” he replied. He was an adult. He could control himself. 

He missed the curious, interested expression Ignis gave as he tracked his progress to the bathroom.


	13. Blackened

Every time Prompto fell asleep with socks on, without fail, one or both would end up lost inside the bed sheets before morning came. It was a funny quirk, one they’d never fit to question. But something about it was just _off_ to Noct, and he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. 

Prompto was fast asleep in their bed. Dressed in only a pair of chocobo-print boxers. It was the heat of summer, Lestallum at its most sweltering. There was only a slight scrap of thin cotton sheets gathered around Prompto’s shoulders – since he couldn’t sleep _entirely_ devoid of covering. Thin, muscular legs – runners legs – were stretched out in the empty space. And there, on his left foot, was a chocobo-coloured sock. 

He wasn’t sure what felt off about it. Shaking his head, he gave a fond smile and leaned down to poke the sock-covered foot. There was… no response. He frowned – giving it another jab. Still, nothing. 

Confused, he gave the bare skin of Prompto’s other foot a nudge. The blond startled awake, laughter bubbling out of his mouth. “Nooooct!” He whined, tucking his bare foot protectively up against his chest. “Don’t!” 

“Prompto,” he said seriously. “Your foot’s getting worse.” 

“ _Whaaaat_?” He asked playfully. “No way, bud.” 

He gave it another hard jab, and there was a delay of almost half a second before Prompto released an uncertain “ow?” 

“You can’t even feel your foot, Prompto!” he pointed out, irritated. 

“Oh, that’s not worse,” the blond answered, shrugging. “It’s only bad in the morning, and it’s been like that for ages. I just gotta get vertical and the blood rushes back into it. Don’t worry.” 

“Don’t… don’t _worry_? Are you joking, Prompto?” He clenched his fists. “You have no feeling in your _foot_ and I’m just supposed to _not worry about it_?” 

“It’s not that big a deal,” Prompto answered, confused. “What are you losing your mind for?” 

“Take off your sock.” 

“What?” 

“Take. Off. Your. Sock.” 

“Dude, what’s your issue?” Prompto asked, his foot instinctively curling closer towards himself. “I don’t need to take my sock off.” 

“You’re right,” Noct said, his voice stern. “You don’t need to. I know what’s underneath. Your foot’s just as black and corrupted as it was when I broke up with him, isn’t it?” 

Prompto hesitated, for a long enough moment. Then he deflated with a long exhale. “Yeah, Noct. It’s the same. It hasn’t improved, it hasn’t gotten worse. It just is what it is.” 

“Are you still upset with me about it?” He asked, feeling hurt. Why wouldn’t Prompto _talk_ to him if he wasn’t satisfied? 

“No,” Prompto said miserably, shaking his head. “I just… I’m fine. Happy. With what you’re giving me. But it’s just not changing. I think… I think it’s permanent damage.” 

“Permanent?” Noct whispered, concerned. “But… we pulled you back from the brink of _death_ before!” 

“But that was before you _knew_ ,” Prompto pointed out, not meeting his eyes. “That was… accidental. This was, at least in the eyes of the curse… intentional.” 

“Intentional! Prompto you **know** I never meant to—” 

“No,” Prompto interrupted gently. “But you did know about the curse, about what it was about. And you still… you still fell in love with _him_ , Noct.” He lowered his head, staring at his freckled knees. “I was right here. Waiting for you, dying for you. And you still fell for him.” 

“I…” Noct faltered, guilt swallowing him up for the brief moment he let it. But he quickly pushed it away. “I didn’t do it intentionally, Prompto. It was only supposed to be sex – that’s what we _agreed_ on. But I’m _human_ , Prompto. Sometimes I just _get feelings_ for people!” 

“Would you _listen_ to me, Noct?” Prompto snapped, irritated. “I don’t blame you for it! But the curse did! Ardyn’s laughing his laugh off from the void Nyx threw him in to. It’s what he _said_ to me, when he was pretending to be you, infecting me with this curse. He made you say: ‘ _I want you to die for me_ ’.” 

Noct shivered. Prompto hadn’t told him everything about the actual kidnapping, how he was cursed. He was picking up bits and pieces as Prompto revealed them. He knew Ardyn wasn’t a secret matchmaker – the curse could never have been to get them together. He’d known, at least, it was to make them suffer. But it made him cold – that Ardyn had done this with the intention of killing Prompto. 

“Well, he’s dead,” Noct said stubbornly. “He doesn’t _get_ what he wants anymore.” He reached out to touch Prompto’s face, giving a small smile as the blond leaned into his hand. “We’re going to prove him wrong. We’re going to live through this curse together.” 

“Yeah,” the blond said softly. 

“Still,” he said carefully. “We really should do something about your foot.” He sighed. “I’ll get Iggy to organise us some travel visas.” 

“Travel visas?” Prompto echoed, confused. 

Noct nodded and gave him a grim look. “We have to go visit Ravus.” 


	14. Release

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. I'm changing meds so I'm a bit all over the place at the moment and burned my fingers so typing was pain until that settled down. Anyway, enough excused - onwards!

Ravus sat back in his chair, giving Prompo a serious look. They didn’t have a doctor’s office, but Prompto had been instructed to lie on the chaise and remove his shoes and socks. Now that Ravus had finished his examination, he moved to redress his feet. 

“So?” He asked uncertainly, eyeing the prince-turned-lord-returned-king. 

“There is nothing I can do about the foot,” Ravus answered seriously. “If Lunafreya was here...” He looked sad for a long moment, mourning for a sister who had given her life to defeat the starscourged king of old. “But I cannot undo what darkness has done. It was not a power granted to me.” 

“Figured,” he replied, lacing his shoe tight enough his numb foot could feel it. “Sorry to waste your time.” 

“I have not finished speaking,” Ravus replied impatiently. “How does Noctis tolerate this insufferability?” He folded his arms. “The injury may heal on its own, or it may remain the same. It is impossible to say.” 

Prompto nodded his mouth to answer, but fell silent when he was cut with an impatient look. 

“However,” the prince replied. “I have removed the curse, so you will not be inflicted with further damages due to the so-called ‘ _chosen_ ’ king’s selfishness and idiocy.” 

Prompto froze up, gaping at him. He stared at the Tennebraen King for so long, Ravus glared at him. “You... you’ve removed the curse.” 

“Indeed. With no starscourge to sustain it, it was a very simple matter of banishing its traces within your heart.” The king sat back. “You’re welcome.” 

Prompto put a hand to his heart, feeling oddly numbed. He hadn’t even noticed it being removed. After all the damage it had done, the lives it had ruined. The months of a slow but unrelenting crawl to a messy death in blood and starscourge, The utter wreckage it had done to all four of their relationships. After all it had done, he’d expected it to be as painful to extract as it had been dying of it. 

But it was gone. Just like that. 

“Thank you,” he murmured. “I’ll give you some time to compose yourself. I have political matters to discuss with Noctis. I shall send someone to collect you before dinner hour.” 

King Ravus Nox Flauret swept out, all regal and mystical composure. Prompto crossed over to the window. 

He was free. _Noct_ was free. As soon as they got home, Noct could choose Ignis again, but for good this time. The marriage they had planned, but had been prevented from having because of Prompto’s screw up. The two of them could finally be _happy_. 

It caused a bitter twist of jealousy in his stomach – though nothing as sickening and overwhelming as it had been under the curse. He _loved_ Noct, almost always _had_ , and definitely always _will_. But before anything, he wanted Noct to be _happy_. And Noct loved _Iggy_ , so he happily stepped aside. And this time he wouldn’t have to guilt them into breaking up because of a fatal curse. 

They were all free. 

A minute later, Prompto had his things – the one bag he’d brought with him from Lestallum – and he was sneaking out the servants’ door of Fennestala Manor. He was on the ferry back to Galdin Quay before the sun kissed the horizon. Thanks to a chocobo, he made it back to Lestallum before midnight. 

He rushed upstairs to their apartment, fumbling to unlock the door. He dropped his bag and rushed into the living room. He froze up, jaw dropping. 

Ignis was naked and glorious, body rolling in a dance as old as time itself. He was thrusting forward into... Gladio. Prompto took a step back, _something_ twisting in his stomach – but his foot crunched against something on the ground. 

The couple turned to look at him and paused but... but they didn’t separate. Ignis only grabbed the throw blanket from the back on the couch and loosely cast it around his hips. “Prompto,” he said carefully. “We didn’t expect the two of you to come home so soon.” 

“It... it’s just me.” He took another step back. “Noct is still...” Why were his hands _shaking_? “Tennebrae.” 

“Are you okay, Prompto? Why are you here?” Gladio asked curiously. He went to sat up, but gave a weak sort of moan as body parts... shifted. 

“I’m fine,” he said weakly. “I’m... I’m great. Ravus removed the curse.” 

The two lovers paused, looking at each other. _Something_ passed between them, but Prompto couldn’t tell what it was. Regret? Surprise? Guilt? 

“...congratulations,” Ignis said with genuine softness. “You two must be very relieved.” 

“We are,” he said, the lie rolling easily off his tongue. “I came to get some extra clothes and stuff. So we can stay longer in Tennebrae.” 

Ignis nodded. “Do you need help packing Noct’s things?” 

“You two are busy,” Prompto said, avoiding their eyes. “Uh... can you take it to the bedroom? We _eat_ there, guys.” 

Iggy looked momentarily apologetic. “Yes... we’ll relocate.” 

Prompto just nodded and fled to the bathroom. He splashed his face, taking a long look at himself in the mirror. Why did he look so shaken? He knew Gladio had feelings for Iggy – that he’d been as upset about the whole Iggy/Noct thing as Prompto had. Why wouldn’t he have pursued Ignis as soon as the moment came? 

But it didn’t feel _right_. Iggy and Noct were supposed to get back together, and he and Gladio were... 

Oh. 

_Oh_. 

He grabbed a toiletries bag from under the sink, it was probably Iggy’s – Iggy was smart and resourceful and prepared and perfect always – and started shoving his stuff in there. Razor, hair gel, body wash, deodorant, body lotion, tweezers, chap stick. He’d buy shampoo and conditioner wherever he ended up. 

When he came back out, Gladio’s bedroom door was already closed and the living room had been given a perfunctory clean. Prompto shuddered, ignoring the twist in his stomach and started shoving all of his clothes into the first carry-bag he found. 

His eyes stung. He felt utterly overwhelmed with everything. He grabbed his bag, stuffed to bursting, and – making sure (by sound) that Iggy and Gladio were still...occupied – he fled the apartment. 

Angrily, he pelted his phone off the outlook, watching it disappear into the gorge. Then he saddled up the chocobo and kicked it to run. 

_Run and run and run until it doesn’t hurt any more._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All of y'all that wanted Prompto/Gladio did this. I hope you're pleased with yourelves.


	15. You Better Run Run Run

“Babe, babe,” a familiar voice said, impatient but fond. “You’ve gotta wake up. Your shift starts in an hour.” 

Prompto groaned and pulled the sheets up over his head. “Don’t wanna.” 

A second voice chuckled and the blanket was pulled back. He squinted at Coctura and Dino through his eyelashes. “Remind me why I’m working again?” He grumbled. 

She chuckled and sat on the end of the bed, doing her make-up in the standing mirror against the wall. 

“Cause you’re saving up for a camera,” Dino answered, styling his hair in the bathroom mirror. “So you can get a real job and move out of our bedroom.” 

“You like me in your bedroom,” Prompto huffed, sitting up a little. They _did_ , right? They were the ones who invited him to their bed. Or maybe they just felt so sorry for him, they’d invited him to join them in a temporary throuple until he got back on his feet. 

“Yes, we do,” Coctura said, giving him a smile beyond her carefully wielded eyeliner pencil. “But you told us from the beginning this was just temporary until you moved on.” 

Dino looked into the bedroom, a hopeful smile on his face. “You changed your mind? You wanna stay with us here?” 

He looked between them. “No. I haven’t changed my mind.” But did he _want_ to stay here? With them? 

Maybe. 

He didn’t mind being with them. He knew they didn’t love him like they loved each other, but he knew his place with them. He’d walked in not expecting anything different. 

Coctura kissed his cheek, before she moved to put on her lipstick. “We’re happy for you to stay as long as you like, Prompto. We enjoy your company.” She patted his bare foot poking out of the sheets. “But you do have to get ready for work. I had to pull strings to get you this job, Prompto. Please don’t make me look bad.” 

Reluctantly, he did get up. Dino may have given his ass a playful spank as it strolled naked past him as they crossed paths at the bathroom door. He flushed and finger-gunned at him before closing the door. 

It was time to move on. He was getting too attached. Getting too comfortable in their bed and their lives. This was meant to be rebound. He wasn’t getting mixed up in feelings and making it awkward for everyone involved. 

After his shift, before Coctura had finished at the restaurant and while Dino was still at work in his jewellery workshop, he grabbed his fully packed bags and rented a chocobo. Where was he supposed to go next? 

Insomnia, maybe. Was it too obvious? It had only just started being reoccupied after the clean-up. The former prince and his retinue might be called there every so often, for ribbon cuttings and shit like that. No, better wait until it was old news, when it would be safer to return. 

Hammerhead, maybe. It was busy, but... well, he’d already been there. He’d gone, with his heart set on falling properly in love with Cindy. But almost as soon as he’d gotten there, dusty and exhausted from the road, she’d beamed to see him. There you are, Prompto! The Prince and his friends have been so worried about you. I told them you were coming as soon as I saw you coming across the plains. 

It had stung with betrayal. He’d told her he was heading to Insomnia and then _fled_ to Duscae as fast as the chocobo would take him. 

Maybe it was time to leave Lucis entirely. Not Tennebrae, they were too close to Lucis, too friendly. Accordo, maybe. Altissia was large enough to disappear into. Or... 

Or Niflheim. It was a mixed up country, when half its population had been turned into machines in one day, but things were turbulent enough still he could probably slip under the radar. Maybe he could see Aranea. Maybe he could fall in love with her. 

Like Cindy, she was gorgeous and unattainable... disinterested. It would be a safe choice. He’d know going in that it was impossible, no chances of getting his hopes up. 

He nodded to himself, turning the chocobo north. He’d go through Cavaugh, take a boat to Galahd, and then transport from there. Boat, maybe or... airship. 

“Hm,” 

He stopped at Longwythe, watered his chocobo and borrowed the phone at the Crow’s Nest. He still had Aranea’s number, crawled in his paper phonebook – the one he’d kept just in case something ever happened to his phone. 

It picked up after an unbearable number of rings. “This better be important.” 

He swallowed. “Aranea? It’s Prompto.” 

“Blondie.” She sounded surprised. “Didn’t expect to hear from you.” 

He rubbed his arm. “Oh. Uh... Can I ask you for a favour?” He asked. 

She was almost wary as she responded: “you can _ask_.” There was an almost irritated note to her voice: “you’re not going to ask me for money, are you?” 

He laughed a little. “Girl, I know how you feel about _money_ ,” he teased, feeling almost like his old self. Yeah. She might be good for him. “I promise, no cash involved.’ 

She hummed. “What is it then, Blondie?” 

He shifted. “Have you still got your airship?”


	16. Here We Come

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plz forgive any typos and such. I wrote this at 4am.

Prompto lay on the lumpy bed, one hand cast over his eyes. Longwythe Motel. Man, he didn’t want to be here. But Aranea was going to be here in her airship soon. She was going to take him to Niflheim, and _then_ he could start all over again. A real fresh start. 

Maybe he should come up with a new name too. Really go for it. In the off-chance anyone was asking around about _Prompto Argentum_ , nobody would know him by it. Yeah, good idea. 

Prompto Argentum was a stupid mess, unlovable and never did anything but ruin his friends’ lives. It was time. 

There was a rough banging on his door, and an all-too familiar voice growling out: “ **Prompto**!”

Oh, Ifrit’s ballsack. _Gladio_. He couldn’t pretend he wasn’t here, the shield would just cave the door in and pay for it later. No time for his things – wow, Aranea had betrayed him. He grabbed his phonebook and wallet and pried open the window, shimmying out and dropping down the two stories to the dusty ground. 

Except he never hit the ground. He found himself caught by deceptively strong arms, and held fast. “I told Gladio that you would attempt to escape out the window. Noct owes me money.” 

Prompto struggled with everything he had, trying to escape the arms of the prince’s former advisor. “Let go of me!” he demanded, wrenching himself about to try and escape his arms. 

“I will, once you’ve come to your senses,” Ignis replied, his voice far too calm. “Really, Prompto. We have the Regalia. Now that we’ve caught up to you, did you really think we’d allow you to escape without the explanation we are entitled to?” He straightened his clothes as Prompto finally worked himself free, breathing hard. “We would appreciate it if you could sit with us and have a mature conversation to clear the air. You can either participate willingly and we can have a civil discussion – or we can lock the car and drive until you break your silence. The decision is up to you.” 

Prompto glared at him warily. “All we have to do is talk, and then you’ll all stop chasing me?” 

“I cannot promise that there’ll be no convincing you to remain, but conversation is all we expect of you tonight.” 

Prompto studied him warily. “...fine,” he conceded. “But not here, okay? Let’s go to the nearest camping haven.” 

Ignis pushed up his glasses. “Very well.” 

Half an hour later, he was sitting in a camping chair, across the fire from his three best friends. Gladio looked absolutely furious; Ignis calm but determined; but Noct...? Noct wouldn’t even _look_ at him. 

There was an awkward, strained silence between them all. Prompto didn’t want to be the first to talk, but it seemed like nobody knew where to begin. 

Eventually, Gladio stood up. “Fuck it. I’m not going this sober.” He headed over to the ice chest and yanked it open, pulling out four bottles of beer and forcefully placing them into everyone’s hands. 

Prompto twisted the cap off and swallowed half the bottle in one long gulp. Then he pressed it down on the arm rest. 

Gladio had downed the whole bottle and tossed it effortlessly into the bin near Iggy’s cooking set-up. “We’re supposed to be _friends_ ,” he said stubbornly. “So what the hell happened?” 

Ignis avoided looking at them both, turning his face away and taking a grimacing sip of the beer. Noct, who had never looked at any of them to begin with, was tearing the paper label off in strips and tossing them into the campfire. 

“Feelings got involved,” Prompto replied, in the strained silence. “Mushy gay feelings.” 

“Bi,” Gladio corrected instantly, like they’d always used to when things were _easy_ between them. 

Prompto gave a weak smile. “Pan.” 

The faintest trace of amusement crossed Iggy’s expression. “‘Gay’ works perfectly well for me.” 

Before, Noct would always give an uncomfortable grimace and a loose shrug, responding with: _‘who the knows?’_. And they’d all drink to it. But instead, Noct tore off the last bit of the label and tossed it in the fire, before beginning to pick at the hardened glue that had held it in place. 

The air was tense, and none of them seemed to know how to move on from the awkward moment. 

Gladio got up to get a drink – coming back with a chilled bottle of wine and taking Iggy’s unwanted beer from him. “This is painful,” he said, sipping the beer. “Why do I always have to man up and face things?” He grumbled. Then he settled Prompto with a hard glare. “Why’d you leave?” 

Prompto drained the rest of his beer bottle, wishing the faint buzz of alcohol would get rid of the painful knots in his stomach and chest. “You two were fucking. On our couch.” 

Noct gave his first indication that he was even involved in the discussion. He grimaced and shot the other two a look. “Seriously? Guys, we _eat there_.”

Gladio rolled his eyes. “That’s exactly what Prompto said.” 

“I had the couch professionally cleaned,” Iggy commented, rolling his eyes. “That certainly explains why you left the apartment,” he continued seriously, watching Prompto. “But not why you lied to us about Ravus breaking the curse, and that you and Noct intended to stay longer in Tennebrae.” 

Prompto shifted. “It wasn’t all lies,” he mumbled. “Ravus really did get rid of the curse.” 

Noct _finally_ looked at him. “Why didn’t you _tell_ me?” He demanded. Astrals, he sounded so _betrayed_ , hurt. “You just _left_! And you _disappeared_ for _months_.”

Prompto rolled his empty beer bottle around in his hands, wishing it was still full. That he had some excuse for not answering right away. “I was going to make everything right,” he said quietly. “I was going to tell Ignis that you two could finally be together like you wanted. But I got home and...” He clenched his fists tightly, the bottle cracking but not shattering. He tossed it towards the bin, glad when it hit the mark.

“Oh.” Ignis said, understanding and pity in his voice. “And we... Understandable, naturally...” He paused. “Prompto how long have you had feelings for Gladio?” 

Gladio choked on his beer, coughing until his throat cleared. “ _What_?”

He couldn’t _take_ it. He jolted up onto his feet and he _ran_.

He heard Ignis and Gladio calling his name in different tones, but he tried to block them out. He stumbled back, startled, when Noct burst into appearance in front of him in blue light. He tucked his weapon away, giving Prompto a serious, unreadable expression. “I think we should talk in private first, Prompto,” he said in a soft, understanding voice. “Let’s go back to the motel.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Genuinely what is the ratio of readers that actually want OT4 to happen? Cause it could happen or not and I don’t want to force it on the readers when it wasn’t promised from the beginning.


	17. Freedom of Choice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at what you kids did. Now there's the OTP tag right up there. Not especially in this chapter, but that's endgame now.

Prompto looked at his feet, dangling over the edge. Restless, he raised one and hooked it over his knee. But that was too familiar, too much like a conversation they’d had on this roof what felt like lifetimes ago. He dropped his leg back down and watched it swing for a moment. 

“We should probably actually talk,” Noct said, sounding as unhappy about it as Prompto felt. “We probably should have talked about this months ago.” 

“Probably,” he agreed – but made no effort to start the long-overdue conversation. 

Noct sighed, and looked pained. They didn’t _talk_ about feelings. They ignored it and they joked and they played video games to forget. It was almost fitting that one of their only serious conversations had been on this same roof. 

“How long have you been in love with me?” Noct asked, and by the sound of it he really didn’t want to know the answer. 

Prompto wanted to _run_ again, but he felt Noct’s hand clamp down on his wrist, keeping him still. “I don’t _know_ ,” he replied helplessly. “Since the first time I met you? The second time? I don’t know, Noct, it’s been a part of me for so long I can’t remember when I _didn’t_.”

Noct made a quiet, distressed noise. After a few deep breath, he asked in an even more strained voice: “and Gladio?” 

Prompto squeezed his eyes closed and raised both his hands to press them into his eye sockets. As if the lights that burst into life at the pressure could block everything out. “I _don’t know_ ,” he replied, wishing the world would swallow him whole. “I didn’t even know I did until I walked in on them _fucking_ and realized it was just someone else I lost to Iggy.” 

Noct awkwardly patted his shoulder. “I can’t imagine how that feels, Prompto. I’m sorry you had to deal.” 

“Can’t say I blame either of you,” he mumbled, kicking his legs. “Why _wouldn’t_ you want Iggy? He’s gorgeous, and smart, and…perfect.” 

Noct sighed and dropped his hand back down. “Can’t say I saw _that_ coming,” he muttered. “Iggy and Gladio?” 

Prompto shrugged. “Gladio’s been in love with Iggy for, like, ever.” He squinted down at his kicking feet. 

There was a moment of silence between them, only the noises of nocturnal animals and the wind over the plains for noise. 

“I’m sorry, you know?” Noct said quietly, turning his head to give him a serious look. “For… Iggy.” He sighed. “I knew you had feelings for me, before everything happened. But…” His hands fiddled with the glove on his hand. “You had the whole thing with Cindy. And then Aranea. I thought you’d gotten over me, moved on.” 

Prompto scoffed quietly, lifting his numb foot and undoing the laces. Too tight, it was so hard to judge. “Like it’s easy to get over you,” he replied. “I was _trying_. You were on your way to go get married to a literal princess. What was I _supposed_ to do? Pine after you until I died?” He paused, and then gave a snort. “Well, I basically did that anyway.” 

“Astrals, I’m sorry about _that_ too. Why couldn’t you just tell me, Prompto? None of us would ever have let it go that far.” 

“It wasn’t your fault, why should it be your problem?” He asked, easing his sock down and trying to massage blood flow back into his blackened foot. “Ardyn did it. Not you.” 

“The curse itself might not have been,” Noctis disagreed. “But what you suffered _because_ of it was.” 

Prompto shook his head vehemently. “You didn’t _know_ \--”

“Oh, bullshit, Prompto,” Noct interrupted. “Like my ignorance can even be an excuse any more. I can appreciate that you don’t blame me…” He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter if you don’t. Because of me, you nearly died, and you’ve basically lost use of your foot. On purpose, unknowing, or accidental or whatever. It was still me.” 

“Don’t feel guilty, Noct,” he whispered, anxious. “Please.” 

“I will,” the former prince replied. Carefully, he took his hand and waited until they met eyes. “You’ve got options now, Prompto, you’re free to choose. But if you choose me? I’m going to do everything I can to make it up to you…”

“Noct…” He squeezed his hand and looked away. He couldn’t make himself meet his best friend’s eyes any more. “You’ve got choices now too, you know. Guilt-free choices. You picked Iggy before you knew, you know you can be with him now, right? Just like you wanted. For as long as you both shall live, and all that.” 

Noct sighed. “I don’t know, Prompto. That part of our lives is over, we’ve both moved on from it. Iggy’s picked _Gladio_ now.” 

Prompto nudged him and gave him an easy smile. “Oh, come on Noct. You’re a catch. If you wanted Iggy back, you could reel him in.” 

Noct gave a weak laugh. “I think that’s the first time I’ve heard you tell a terrible joke since you found out I was dating Specs.” 

“It might’ve been the first _amazing_ joke I’ve made since then, you know.” 

They were silent again, but this time it was comfortable. Almost like old times. 

Prompto rolled his sock back on. “I’m exhausted, Noct. Can we call it a night? We’ve talked about some stuff, and I don’t think I can talk about anything more without wanting to jump off this roof.” 

“Yeah.” Noct stood and offered him down a hand, helping him to his feet. He gently cupped his face, stroking a thumb across his cheekbone. “Don’t run again, please? You know we’ll keep chasing you. Save us time, yeah?” 

He squeezed his hand. “Okay. I promise I won’t run before morning. But I gotta be alone for the night, okay?” 

Noct sighed reluctantly, but nodded. “Deal.” 

But he couldn’t sleep. 

Prompto opened his eyes as he heard the hotel door open. He hadn’t been sleeping – his head was swirling too much with everything that was happening. He was tucked up on his side, spooning a lumpy pillow, and peeked at the reflection of the front door in the mirror. It was too dark to properly see, but _nobody_ cut a figure quite like Gladio did. 

The former shield stepped out of his shoes and approached the bed, silently slipping under the sheets. He spooned up behind Prompto, one arm holding him tight around his waist. 

When Gladio spoke, he sounded very awake. “You sort everything out with Noct?” 

“Not everything,” Prompto replied, laying still – not really knowing exactly what was going on right then. “I don’t think _everything_ is going to be sorted out until everyone has had a lot of long, awkward conversations.” 

Gladio grunted, clearly in agreement. They lay in silence for a moment. “Was Iggy right?” He asked carefully. “Do you have feelings for me?” 

Prompto squirmed, self-conscious of the warm, strong torso behind him. “He wasn’t wrong,” he admitted. “But you don’t have to say anything. You have Iggy, you don’t need to explain anything.” 

There was a long pause. “ _Can_ I say something?” He asked, his voice surprisingly gentle. Not that Gladio didn’t _have_ a gentle side. It was just usually reserved for Iris, or the wounded and dying. 

“Yeah.” He hated how his voice cracked on that word. His pulse throbbed loudly in his head. He almost wanted to take it back. He didn’t want to deal with a rejection right now. Not when he was so close to running away again. 

Gladio took a deep breath, and then sighed most of it out. A longer moment of silence stretched between them. “I thought, with Ignis and Noct getting together...” His arm squeezed Prompto tighter, almost anxious. “I thought you and I could be a thing.” 

Prompto was silent. Had… Had Gladio really just _said_ that? He gaped silently at the shadows on the wall. “… **huh**?” 

Gladio rubbed his arm, callused hands warm and gentle. “I just thought…” He sighed. “Maybe it was selfish of me. But I thought we could be together. I had all these, like, half-baked plans. Working out shirtless around the apartment, I was gonna suggest that we could comfort each other through them getting together. But… well, the curse kinda ruined that.” 

Prompto shifted, watching the shadows on the wall. He made a sort of half-strangled attempt at words. He stopped, and then waited for his brain to come back online. “Guess your plan worked, then?” He laughed awkwardly. “You got me. Ha. Ha. And now you got Iggy, just like you always wanted.” 

“You weren’t a consolation prize, Prompto,” Gladio replied impatiently. “If you want me, tell me. Iggy and Noct will have each other, like they want, and we can have us.” 

Prompto was silent for a long moment. “No,” he said quietly. 

There was stunned silence. “No?” 

“You’ve… you’ve waited so long to be with Iggy. Who would I even be if I didn’t tell you to go for it?” 

Gladio shifted. “You’d be happier with Noct anyway,” he said, _something_ unameable in his voice. “You’ve waited for him almost as long as I’ve been waiting too.” 

“Yeah.” He reached up and threaded their fingers together. How many nights had Gladio held him as his entire body was wracked with the starscourge that was eating him from inside out? Gladio hadn’t needed to, but he’d been there for him when nobody else knew. He squeezed the hands again. “But… hey. If things don’t work out between you and Iggy…?”

Gladio nuzzled the back on his head and hummed softly. “If you’re still available, you _know_ I’m coming straight after your heart.” 

Prompto just gave a resigned smiled and closed his eyes to sleep. “I’ll be available."


	18. Opportunity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was an absolute butt to write. I tried it three different times with three different POViews and Iggy was the only one who would put up with it long enough for me to write. Sorry if it feels awkward.

Ignis sat silently, drinking from his can of Ebony and listening to Gladio and Noct argue. He probably oughtn’t be offended, but he couldn’t help the little sting of offense listening to them argue. They were going back and forth repeatedly, arguing why _the other_ should be the one who dated Ignis. The very obvious truth beneath their discussion being _which one of them would get to be with Prompto_? 

Prompto himself had shown up a few minutes ago, picked up a bottle of juice and sat nearby Ignis to watch the argument. 

Just then, the blond let out a low snort that had the two arguing friends turning to look at him. 

“What?” Gladio asked, folding his arms defensively. 

“Just you two,” Prompto said, bringing one leg up to his chest so he could hug his knee. The numb one, Ignis recalled, with the blackened foot. “You know there’s another option, right?” 

“Huh?” Noct asked, brow wrinkling up in confusion. 

He gestured between the three of them. “It doesn’t have to be one of you with Iggy and the other one stuck with me,” he continued. “Why don’t the three of you just…” He made a gesture. “You both and him.” 

The two of them were silent for a moment. Ignis raised an eyebrow silently, and looked at Prompto for clarification. 

“Well, we called it a _throuple_ when I was with Dino and Coctura,” Prompto continued. “But there’s other terms for it. Three-way, polyamory, _ménage-à-trois_.” 

“Prompto, what are you _talking_ about?” Noct asked, bewildered. 

“You, and Iggy, and Gladio. Sitting in a tree.” He teased, like a middle-schooler. 

“An open relationship?” Gladio asked, pulling a face. 

“No,” Prompto corrected. “It’s pretty much like any normal relationship. Except… more people in it.” He hummed. “Or… Iggy just agrees to date both of you? Like, still committed relationships and you guys can all not agreeing with each other. But, Noct, you can’t honestly tell me you don’t want Gladio too, even a little.” 

Ignis watched as Noct’s cheeks pinked, just a little bit. He frowned in thought, considering the matter. “Perhaps we should consider it,” Ignis replied. He crossed one ankle over his knee, setting down the empty can of Ebony. “Though I do propose one caveat.” 

“Specs!” Noct yelped, undignified. “Are you seriously considering this?” 

Gladio sat down, staring at them both across the smouldering firepit. “What caveat?” He asked. There was something like interest buried beneath the confusion and bewilderment. 

“If there’s room for three of us in this relationship,” he ventured, “then there’s certainly room for _four_.” 

“F-four?” Prompto asked, obviously confused by that. 

Ignis pointed between them. “The four of us. That would… well, it would solve a lot of our current issues, wouldn’t it?” He sat back, looking at Prompto seriously. “Noct and Gladio both have serious feelings for you,” he continued, “and I must admit, I’m no immune to your charms myself.” 

Prompto gave what sounded precariously like a _squeak_ upon hearing that. “I’m sorry, _what_?” 

“Hold on, go back,” Noct said rapidly, interrupting. “What did you just say about _Dino and Coctura_?” 

“Catch up, Noct,” Gladio grunted. “Prompto’s the only one of us _experienced_ in this… poly thing.” 

“You and _Dino_?” Noct demanded. 

“Yes,” Prompto answered carefully. 

“You and _Coctura_?” 

“Yes.” 

“ _You_ and Dino _and_ Coctura?” 

Ignis gave a low chuckle at Noct’s confusion. His confusion was almost cute. “Yes, Noctis,” he explained carefully. “While Prompto was missing, some of that time was spent on Galdin Quay, participating in a three-way relationship with Dino Ghiranze and Coctura Arlund.” 

Noct looked burning with an incandescent rage. He opened his mouth, but then snapped it closed and glared. Hard. He paced backwards and forward, then turned on Prompto. “I feel like you cheated on me.” 

“We weren’t together,” Prompto shifted. 

“But we weren’t exactly _not_!” Noct argued. Ignis watched his hands bunch into tight fists. “I’d promised to be with you, because of the curse. I didn’t even know it was broken and you just disappeared!” 

Prompto looked guilty. “Noct…” 

Ignis glanced at Gladio and gestured with his head for them to go. The two of them left the arguing pair and went for a walk around the landscape. 

Gladio toyed with the wildlife while Ignis searched out some wild ingredients. It was almost like old times. 

“Are you…” 

Ignis glanced up at the tentative voice. Gladio was standing behind him, looking at him with a serious look. 

“Are you serious about Prompto’s suggestion?” He asked. 

Ignis sighed, tugging the bag of mushrooms closed with the drawstring. “It does seem like the best solution,” he replied. “I don’t believe there’s any other way that things could go that wouldn’t end up with at least one person’s feelings hurt.” He stood, turning to face him fully. “This way, there’s no lingering questions. No person left out, no feelings left unresolved to die and sour our friendship.” 

“I…” Gladio rubbed one of his tattooed biceps with a hand. “If I had to share you with anyone,” he mumbled, “I guess Noct and Prompto would be the only people I’d choose.” 

“And I’m sure you’re not disappointed by the opportunity to explore the thing you have with Prompto.” His voice was very carefully guarded, but by the look Gladio gave him, he hadn’t missed the meaning behind it. 

“No,” Gladio admitted quietly. “I’m not.” 

Ignis nodded. “Then this opportunity works for us. I get to stay with you, and with Noct…” 

“You never really got over him, did you?” Gladio grunted, clearly jealous. 

“We got married less than half a year ago, Gladiolus,” Ignis replied. “No, it’s not something I’ve simply ‘ _got over_ ’.” 

“Then… it works for both of us,” he said quietly. “All of us really.” 

Ignis nodded. “Then we’re agreed.” 

Gladio nodded. “Alright. Let’s go talk to the other two then.” 


	19. House of Four

Prompto woke up to the sounds of low, gasping moans next to his ear. He cracked one open and spotted Noct’s face on the pillow beside his own. And then, squinting beyond, was Gladio, whose rocking motions were shaking the bed. 

“ _Seriously_?” He grumbled, annoyed. He turned on his side and... into Ignis’s bare shoulder. “ _Some of us_ were up past dawn doing a sunrise engagement shoot.” 

Iggy and Gladio had been awake then – the latter coming home after his morning jog to the former making breakfast. Prompto had only scoffed down some toast and juice, and then crawled back into the king bed next to Noctis. 

“It’s noon,” Ignis replied, “his former highness has to wake up.” 

“Yeah but who decided Noct has to wake up with Gladio’s dick?” Prompto grumbled, closing his eyes tighter and nuzzling his head deeper into Ignis’s chest. 

The former advisor chuckled. “Jealous?” 

“Dude,” he whined. “So not the point right now.” He grumbled wordlessly and tugged the sheet up over his head. “They’re shaking the whole mattress. I’m trying to _sleep_.”

“Could be worse,” Ignis pointed out. “Gladio almost bought a water bed.” 

He fumbled behind him and pushed at Gladio’s face. “Go have sex somewhere else! I’m _sleeping_.”

“Go _sleep_ somewhere else,” Noct replied. “I’m comfy.” 

“Ugh. You’re the worst boyfriends ever.” 

...

“Our relationship isn’t without its issues,” Ignis explained. He watched Noct and Prompto splashing in the water, while Gladio sunned himself on the sand a few metres away. 

Dino nodded, swirling his straw around the cocktail glass. “Relationships are hard enough as it is,” he agreed, “when you double the people in the relationship, you double the drama.” 

The former advisor nodded, watching as Prompto tackled a shrieking Noct into the water. 

“You guys still jealous of each other all the time?” Dino asked, taking a sip from the straw. 

Ignis glanced at him, “did Prompto speak to you of his jealousy?” He asked, surprised by the notion. 

“Yeah, like all the time. It was getting old.” But the jeweller sounded fond, not exasperated. 

He had known Prompto was jealous, of course. They all dealt with it, before they had settled into their comfortable dynamic. It was hard to unlearn the idea that any time spent with one of their other partners was time one of them didn’t want to spend with you. Prompto had taken it particularly hard, but after months together they were finally in a comfortable place. 

“Specs!” Noct yelled from the water. “Prompto pushed me!” 

He rolled his eyes slightly and stood with a soft smile. “I’d best go corral my partners. We’ll see you at dinner, Dino.” 

...

Gladio sat at the table with Prompto, the both of them watching the ballroom’s dancefloor. “Gotta say,” he commented to the blond, “I’m enjoying this a lot more than he last wedding I went to.” 

“Mood,” Prompto echoed. They’d been invited to Aranea’s wedding to a very wealthy Altissian businessman. His eyes were following Noct and Iggy, as the two of them stepped an elegant waltz around the ballroom. He gave a wistful sigh. “They look so beautiful.” 

He studied the blond’s face for a long moment. “You jealous?” He asked carefully. 

Prompto sighed. “Only cause I don’t get to dance,” he mumbled. “We can’t all have grown up going to balls every other weekend.” 

Gladio raised his eyebrows. “You don’t know how to dance?” 

He huffed, lips drawing together into a pout. “I know how to party. But this fancy ballroom stuff? Nobody learns that shit outside the citadel.” 

Noct and Iggy’s wedding had dancing and stuff too, but Prompto had been too sick to even _notice_ other people dancing, let alone think about it himself. 

“Well.” He rose to his feet. “I’m not gonna let you sit here and sulk.” He offered a hand down to the blond. 

Prompto sighed and took his hand. Gladio tugged him to his feet and pulled him along. The blond probably expected them to go to the open bar, but instead he stopped them at the edge of the ballroom. He pulled him close, one hand at his waist, taking Prompto’s hand in his with the other. 

Pink dusted underneath freckled cheeks. “Gladio, what are you doing?” 

“We’re gonna dance.” He tugged him close, pressing their hips together. “Just follow my lead.” He stepped Prompto through a basic waltz, using his thigh to press Prompto to follow each step. 

The blond picked it up quickly, finding the courage to look up from their feet and into Gladio’s face. His cheeks were flush pink, it was charming. As the waltz swelled towards the end of the song, he bowed his head down and pressed a kiss against Prompto’s gently parted lips. 

He felt a tap on his shoulder and reluctantly pulled away from Prompto, who’d fallen against Gladio’s chest, knees weak. He glanced back to see Ignis standing behind him, smirking. 

“Iggy,” he said quietly. He stepped away from Prompto reluctantly, after making sure he was steady on his feet. 

“May I cut in?” Iggy asked, pushing up his glasses. 

Prompto stepped away quickly. “Y-yeah. Of course. No worries.” 

“Excellent. Thank you.” Ignis nudged Gladio aside and took Prompto into his arms, waltzing him to the other side of the ballroom in a few quick steps. 

Gladio snorted and headed back to his seat. Noctis had resumed his own, and poured Gladio a champagne as he came to sit down. “They make a gorgeous sight, don’t they?” He asked, watching their boyfriends dancing across the room. 

“They certainly do.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tentatively the end? I may throw an epilogue on this in the future, but right now I just can't seem to hold on to the threads of this fic. Guess I waited too long to finish it off haha. Gotta keep that momentum going.   
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it and thanks so much for coming along on this journey with me.

**Author's Note:**

> There's also a fantastic inspired fanart by Yosaki, and you can see it here: [Cursed Fanart](https://yosaki361.tumblr.com/post/171498592368/fanart-for-a-fanfiction-titled-cursed-by), as well as the link indicated through AO3's system below! I love all fanart and thank you so much to the wonderful artists who have chosen to bestow their gifts on my unworthy self!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Cursed Fanart](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13845432) by [suarhnir](https://archiveofourown.org/users/suarhnir/pseuds/suarhnir)




End file.
